Getting arrested for any crime, regardless of whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, is an experience that will rightly put fear into any decent human being.  Your life can be dramatically changed for the worse.  You need all the information you can get before you hire an attorney or go to court to face these charges.  This article will deal with the most common charges a person faces in Newaygo County, Michigan.  This article will also talk about the court system in Newaygo, talk about the prosecutor and what to look for when you hire an attorney in Newaygo County.

The most common criminal charges issued in Newaygo, Michigan are domestic violence, retail fraud, driving on a suspended license, possession of marijuana, use of marijuana, assault and battery, Operating While Intoxicated (OWI), Driving Under the Influence (DUI), possession of meth, operating while visibly impaired, retail fraud and fourth degree child abuse.

District Court Judge Drake has a reputation for being a fair and balanced Judge.  The Circuit Court Judges are Terrence R. Thomas and Anthony A Monton.  Many Newaygo, Michigan criminal defense lawyers like practicing law in his courtroom. The district and circuit court judges are polite, but firm.  The courtrooms are run in a way that bring about fair and just ends to the criminal cases before these judges.

The Newaygo County prosecutor is Robert D. Springstead.  Mr. Springstead is a skill prosecutor who fights hard for the rights of the victims and to protect the residents of Newaygo County.  Defense lawyers find Mr. Springstead to be a reasonable and fair.   

The first court appearance anyone has when they are facing a criminal charge is the arraignment process.  At the arraignment, the judge will explain to the defendant what they are being charged with.  This explanation includes the maximum possible jail time the defendant may receive and how high the fines could be.  If the criminal charge is a felony, there will be a preliminary exam.  This is where the prosecutor has to prove there is probable cause that a crime was committed and that the person charged with the crime probably committed it. Next, the judges will go over the advice of rights form. The advice of rights form explains the rights a defendant has regarding their criminal case.  Finally, the defendant will enter a guilty or not guilty plea.

If the defendant enters a guilty plea in district court, Judge Drake will likely sentence the person on the spot.  There are some exceptions.  If the crime is drunk driving or domestic violence, the defendant will have a pre-sentence investigation report done and come back for sentencing on another date. If the defendant enters a guilty plea in a circuit court case, the defendant will have a pre-sentence investigation done automatically. 

If the defendant pleads not guilty, there will be one or two pre-trial conferences.  This is a chance for the defendant's attorney and the prosecutor to discuss the charges and see if they can come up with a deal to settle the case short of trial.  If no agreement is reached, the case will be set for trial. The vast majority of criminal cases do not go to trial.  Cases typically end with a plea deal and a few of the cases get dismissed by the prosecutor. 

In Newaygo, jury pick and trial can be held on the same day. If more than one trial is set to go on the same date, the oldest case will go first and the newest case will have trial another day.  After trial, the defendant may be sentenced if the conviction was for a misdemeanor crime.  If the conviction was regarding a felony charge, the defendant will have a pre-sentence investigation done and come back for sentencing later on.  Judge Drake will have the defendant go through the pre-sentence investigation and come back later for sentencing on drunk driving and domestic violence jury convictions.  Sentencing is where the district or circuit court judge decides if the defendant is going to get probation and fines or receive jail, probation and fines.