Missaukee County Circuit Court Overview
Circuit Court is the Michigan trial court with the broadest powers. In Missaukee County that court is the 28th Circuit Court. Wexford and Missaukee counties form one joint circuit and share a common judge. The court hears every felony criminal case where a person could be sent to prison. It also takes civil claims above $25,000, family division matters, personal protection actions, and appeals that come up from lower courts and state agencies.
Hon. Jason Elmore serves as the Chief Circuit Court Judge. The court sits in the county courthouse in Lake City, the county seat, at 111 South Canal Street. Its clerk of record is the Missaukee County Clerk, who also acts as clerk of the 28th Circuit Court. Court Clerk Linda Westdorp is the court's Americans With Disabilities Act coordinator, and staff can answer questions about scheduling, filing, and courtroom rules during regular weekday hours.
The court also links an Interactive Court Data Dashboard, and it notes that historically the 28th Circuit Court runs above the statewide average processing time for its caseload. That volume touches both counties in the shared circuit.
The county publishes the court's judge, staff, jurisdiction, and security rules on the official 28th Circuit Court page.
That page also lays out the courtroom conduct and electronic device rules that visitors and jurors must follow before any hearing. Weapons, recording without permission, and food or drink are barred inside the courtroom.
Trial Courts Serving Missaukee County
Michigan runs three trial court levels: Circuit Court, District Court, and Probate Court. Missaukee County uses all three, though the two higher trial courts are shared with Wexford County. The Circuit Court and its Family Division carry the heaviest cases, while the District Court and Probate Court handle their own tracks. The prosecuting attorney works across each court from a separate downtown office.
| Court | Type / Jurisdiction | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28th Circuit Court | Felonies, civil over $25,000, PPO, appeals from lower courts and agencies | 111 South Canal, PO Box 800, Lake City, MI 49651 | (231) 839-4967 ext. 202 |
| Circuit Court Family Division | Divorce, paternity, juvenile delinquency, abuse and neglect, adoption, name changes | 111 S. Canal St., PO Box 800, Lake City, MI 49651 | Scheduling (231) 779-9490; minor and adoption ext. 208 |
| 84th District Court | Misdemeanors, traffic, civil up to $25,000, landlord-tenant, small claims | 111 South Canal, PO Box 800, Lake City, MI 49651 | (231) 839-4967 ext. 214 |
| Probate Court | Estates, guardianships, conservatorships, trusts, mental health treatment | 111 South Canal, PO Box 800, Lake City, MI 49651 | (231) 839-4967 ext. 208 |
The Wexford/Missaukee Friend of the Court sits apart at 401 N. Lake Street in Cadillac and can be reached at (231) 779-9494. It handles domestic relations cases that involve minor children.
Note: All three trial courts share the same Lake City courthouse address, so the court name and extension matter more than the street when you call.
How a Case Moves Through the Missaukee County System
Most cases do not start in Circuit Court. A criminal case usually opens in the District Court, where a magistrate sets bond and a judge holds the first hearing. If the charge is a felony, the District Court runs a preliminary exam and can bind the case over to the 28th Circuit Court for the rest of the case. Civil disputes go straight to Circuit Court when the amount at stake tops $25,000.
Appeals then climb the ladder. The Circuit Court hears appeals from the District Court and some state agencies. From the Circuit Court, a party can appeal to the state's intermediate appellate court, and then seek review at the top.
Case flow: 84th District Court › 28th Circuit Court › Michigan Court of Appeals › Michigan Supreme Court
The route is not the same for every matter. Small claims, traffic tickets, and misdemeanors often finish inside the District Court and never reach the circuit. Most criminal cases begin in the 84th District Court before a felony moves up.
The district court is also the venue for traffic fines, civil infractions, and landlord-tenant disputes in the county, which keeps those files out of the Circuit Court entirely.
Circuit Court vs. District Court vs. Probate Court
Each Michigan trial court has its own lane. The Circuit Court takes the largest civil claims and every felony. The District Court handles smaller civil matters, misdemeanors, and traffic. The Probate Court manages estates and the care of people who cannot manage their own affairs. The table below lines up the three courts side by side so you can send a case to the right place.
| Circuit Court | District Court | Probate Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil cases | Over $25,000 | Up to $25,000, small claims, landlord-tenant | Estate and trust value |
| Criminal cases | All felonies | Misdemeanors and early felony stages | None |
| Family and juvenile | Divorce, paternity, juvenile, adoption, PPO | None | Minor and adult guardianship |
| Special matters | Appeals from District Court and agencies | Civil infractions, traffic | Trusts, conservatorships, mental health |
The lines can blur at the start of a felony, since the District Court runs the first stages before a bindover. Probate cases stay in their own court from filing to close.
Missaukee County Circuit Court Family Division
The Family Division is the branch of the 28th Circuit Court that handles matters at home. Hon. Melissa Ransom serves as the Family Court judge. The division works from the same courthouse at 111 S. Canal Street. Divorce and paternity scheduling runs through (231) 779-9490, while matters that involve minors, name changes, and adoptions use ext. 208 at the main court line.
The Family Division covers a wide slate of case types. Some files, such as adoption and juvenile matters, are confidential and are not searched like adult civil cases.
- Divorce and separate maintenance
- Paternity and child support with the Friend of the Court
- Juvenile delinquency and abuse or neglect
- Adoption and emancipation of minors
- Personal protection orders
- Name changes
When a case involves minor children, the Wexford/Missaukee Friend of the Court steps in on support, custody, and parenting time. That office works from Cadillac and coordinates with the circuit bench.
Appeals the Circuit Court Hears
One of the circuit's core jobs is review. When a party loses in the District Court, the appeal is filed with the 28th Circuit Court rather than a higher court. The Circuit Court also reviews decisions from some state administrative agencies. This makes the circuit both a first-level trial court and an appeals court for the level below it.
Appeals do not stop there. A party who loses in Circuit Court can ask the Michigan Court of Appeals to review the case, and after that the Michigan Supreme Court. The state courts site explains how the three trial courts connect to the appellate courts above them.
Note: Filing an appeal has strict deadlines set by court rule, so check the exact time limit with the court clerk before the window closes.
Finding Missaukee County Circuit Court Records
Circuit Court records are reachable two main ways. The first is the statewide public case portal, which lets you search many Michigan court cases by name or case number. The second is the local clerk, since the Missaukee County Clerk serves as clerk of the 28th Circuit Court and holds the physical files, older records, and certified copies. Online results and clerk files work together, because document images are not always posted online.
- Confirm the court level first. Felony and larger civil cases, divorce, and PPO matters are Circuit Court files.
- Search MiCOURT by case number if you have it, or by party name, and filter to the Missaukee court where the portal allows.
- Read the register of actions for the case number, filing date, parties, hearings, and status.
- Request copies from the Circuit Court clerk when documents are not viewable online or when you need certified copies.
You can run a name or case-number search on the MiCOURT Case Search portal. For files that are old, sealed, or not online, the county Clerk of Court is the in-person and mail fallback, and general court records guidance covers the wider access rules under Michigan court rules.
Important: Certified copies used in legal proceedings must come from the Circuit Court clerk. A screen print from the online portal is not a certified record.
Pretrial Services in the Circuit Court
Defendants with a circuit case may be placed on bond monitoring while the case is open. The Wexford-Missaukee Community Corrections program provides these pretrial services for the 28th Circuit Court in both counties. It runs drug and alcohol testing, daily alcohol monitoring through Soberlink, and GPS ankle monitoring that can confine a person to home or keep them away from set locations.
These services carry fees. Drug tests cost $20 each and alcohol tests cost $10 each. Soberlink daily alcohol monitoring and GPS monitoring each run $10 per day. Cutting or removing a GPS device can bring new charges and replacement costs.
The county describes the full program on the Wexford-Missaukee Community Corrections page.
The same program handles pretrial bond monitoring for the Wexford 84th District Court, while the Missaukee 84th District Court uses a separate program called Total Court Services for its pretrial work.
Jury Service in Missaukee County
The 28th Circuit Court draws jurors for itself, the 84th District Court, and the Probate Court. Prospective jurors are picked at random from Secretary of State records and mailed a questionnaire once a year. The form must be returned within 10 days, and false answers or refusal can bring contempt penalties.
Missaukee juror service runs as a two-month term. Jurors use a call-in system to learn whether a trial is on. Call the day before each scheduled trial date after 5:30 PM and listen for your panel. The court warns that high call volume can cause busy signals.
People who need to be excused must ask in writing by letter or email to Hon. Jason J. Elmore, and the court replies in writing. Requests made after 1:00 PM the day before trial will not be granted. Those who need disability accommodations can contact the court clerk. The county posts current panel notices on its Jury Duty page.