About the 52nd District Court - 4th Division

The 4th Division of the 52nd District Court moved into their building in July of 1999.

The court has two judges and three part-time magistrates. It is comprised of four divisions: Civil, Criminal, Traffic, and Probation.

The current judges of the 52nd District Court, 4th Division are the Honorable Kirsten Nielsen Hartig and the Honorable Maureen M. McGinnis.

52-4 is separated into 4 primary division. Below is a list of each division, as well as a brief summary of what they handle:

• Traffic Division processes citations written by police departments.
• Civil Division handles cases that involve money or damage claims, and landlord/tenant disputes.
• Criminal Division processes paperwork from police departments, state law and ordinance prosecutors.
• Probation Department responsible for conducting Pre-Sentence Investigations, Alcohol Assessments, and supervision of defendants placed on probation..

See the 52nd District Court 2025 Annual Report (Click Here)

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The District Court, which was established by the Michigan Legislature in 1968 pursuant to constitutional mandate, has more citizen contact than any other court in our judicial system.

The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction of civil matters involving claims not exceeding $25,000 in the following areas:

• Controversy
• Landlord/tenant eviction proceedings
• Land contract forfeitures
• Garnishments and executions, and other related proceedings

District Court also hears cases assigned by the Circuit Court on civil matters where claims exceed $25,000.

The District Court has the exclusive jurisdiction over all criminal matters where the maximum penalty does not exceed one year in jail. It also conducts preliminary examinations in all felony cases where penalty exceeds one year confinement. The preliminary exam is conducted to determine whether or not the prosecution has sufficient evidence to show the probability the defendant committed the crime charged. If the District Judge decides there is probable cause, the matter is sent to Circuit Court for trial.

The District Court also has the responsibility for all traffic violations involving civil infractions and misdemeanors such as speeding, reckless driving and operating while intoxicated.

Geographic Jurisdiction

The 4th Division of the 52nd District Court, located in Troy, serves the following communities:

• Troy
• Clawson