The 33rd District Court announces COVID-19 Contingency Plan.
**Effective March 30, 2020, the 33rd District Court will be closed to the public. Only Court staff will be permitted entry into the Court. **
Individuals with general questions may contact the Court by telephone Monday through Friday between 8:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. or by clicking “Contact – Email Us” above.
In-person payments will not be accepted. In-person filings will not be accepted. Please review the Court’s Contingency Plan for further information.
The 33rd District Court has exclusive jurisdiction over the following matters occurring within Brownstown, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Rockwood, Trenton, and Woodhaven:
General Civil: Lawsuits seeking damages up to $25,000.
Landlord-Tenant: Disputes between a landlord and tenant(s).
Small Claims: Money disputes up to $6,000.
Criminal and Traffic: Criminal felony offenses from arraignment through preliminary examination and misdemeanor offenses. Traffic misdemeanor citations/tickets including statute and ordinance violations and civil infractions.
Security screening is in progress at the 33rd District Court every day. Individuals and their belongings (purses, bags, briefcases, etc…) entering the 33rd District Court are subject to search. For a list of items that are not allowed in the courthouse, please visit the Information page.
Judge Michael K. McNally was elected to the 33rd District Court bench in 1994, and assumed his duties in January, 1995. He was re-elected in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. Judge McNally served as Chief Judge of the Court from 1998 – 2001, 2006 – 2009, and 2012 – 2013, and is currently Chief Judge.
Judge James K. Kersten has been a judge with the 33rd District court since his election in 1996. He was re-elected in 2002 and again in 2008. He served as Chief Judge for the 33rd District Court from 2000 until 2004, and was again named Chief Judge in January of 2010.
Judge Jennifer Coleman Hesson was elected to serve on the 33rd District Court bench in November, 2010, taking office on January 1, 2011. One year later, she was appointed Chief Judge Pro Tem and most recently received the appointment, from the Supreme Court, to serve as Chief Judge of the 33rd District Court, beginning January 1, 2014.
The Mission of the 33rd District Court Probation Department is to work toward the betterment of our communities by professionally carrying out the orders of the Court, which are designed to protect the public through punitive and rehabilitative measures imposed on those who have disregarded the laws of our society.