17th Circuit Court

Administrator's Office

The Office of the Administrator manages the 17th Circuit Court's personnel and related business operations. Of special interest are issues that impact training, budget, caseflow management, public relations and policy issues. The Circuit Court Administrator reports to the Chief Circuit Judge who is the presiding officer and director of administration for the court.

Video Equipment

The Circuit Court has video equipment available to attorneys who need such equipment for court hearings. The equipment is reserved on a first-come-first-serve basis by calling this office.

Interpreter Service

The Circuit Court contracts with Interpreter Services to supply language and sign language interpreters. Attorneys or the parties are responsible to contact the Court Administration office to arrange interpreters. This office needs at least a 2 week notice for interpreter requests particularly if the language is more unique.

Contact Numbers for Interpreter Requests
(616) 632-5137
(616) 632-5139

Administrative Policies

The Circuit Court has adopted a number of administrative policies and orders. These are on file and available upon request. The Judges have adopted these policies and orders for those who practice before this court. The administrative orders have been submitted and approved by the Supreme Court. Selected copies of these administrative policies or orders can be downloaded from Policies & Orders.

Court-Appointed Attorney Contracts

The annual bid for court-appointed attorney contracts is done through the Kent County Purchasing Department. All bids are forwarded to the Chief Circuit Judge for consideration.

Bonding Agencies

The Administrator's Office maintains an eligible list of bonding agencies and individuals for distribution to the Kent County Correctional Facility and the District Courts. If you are interested in being added to the list, please forward to this office:

• letter of request
• copy of Michigan Insurance License
• power of attorney
• certificate of authority

Transcript Requests

Proceedings inside the courtroom may be transcribed by the court reporter. Each reporter will handle the transcript arrangements and payments with the requesting party. If you are not sure of who the reporter was in court, you will need to contact the Judge's staff to determine the court reporter's name and phone number.