Cass County Circuit Court Overview
The 43rd Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction trial court for Cass County. It hears the county's most serious matters. That reach is broad and set by state law. The court sits in the Cass County Law and Courts Building on M-62 in Cassopolis, sharing the campus with the district and probate courts.
The circuit court hears criminal cases that can bring a year or more behind bars, along with domestic relations, personal protection orders, and juvenile matters. It also takes civil actions of $25,000 or more, adoptions, name changes, emancipations, and appeals from lower courts and agencies. The county's 43rd Circuit Court page links case lookup, the docket, forms, and fees. Its about page describes the judge assignments and specialty programs. Final decisions can move up to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
The 43rd Circuit serves Cass County alone, which keeps its docket local and its file room close to home. Because it is a court of general jurisdiction, it can also review the work of the district court and hold power of superintending control over lower tribunals. For a county of roughly 51,000 residents, that single circuit covers a wide mix of criminal, civil, and family work under one roof.
Cass County Trial Courts at a Glance
Three trial courts serve Cass County, and all three operate from the Law and Courts Building. Each has a distinct job and a separate file room phone line. The table sorts them by the kinds of cases they carry.
| Court | Jurisdiction highlights | Address / phone |
|---|---|---|
| 43rd Circuit Court | Felonies, family law, appeals, civil claims $25,000 and up, juvenile, PPO | 60296 M-62, Cassopolis, MI 49031; file room 269-445-4416 |
| 4th District Court | Traffic, misdemeanors, small claims up to $6,500, civil up to $25,000, preliminary exams | 60296 M-62, Cassopolis, MI 49031; file room 269-445-4424 |
| Probate Court | Estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health, adoptions | 60296 M-62, Suite 10, Cassopolis, MI 49031; file room 269-445-4454 |
Note: All three trial courts share one campus, but each file room answers a different phone line, so call the court that holds your case type.
Circuit Court vs District Court vs Probate Court
The three courts split the workload by case size and subject. The circuit court takes the heaviest cases. The district court is the busy front door for everyday matters. The probate court runs its own specialized docket for estates and protective cases.
| 43rd Circuit Court | 4th District Court | Probate Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | $25,000 and above | Up to $25,000 | Based on estate value |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies, one year or more | Misdemeanors and felony start | None |
| Small claims | No | Up to $6,500 | No |
| Family and related | Divorce, PPO, juvenile | Landlord-tenant | Estates, guardianships |
| Hears appeals | Yes, from lower courts | No | No |
Every adult criminal case in the county begins in the district court, even a felony. The district court handles the arraignment, sets bond, and holds the preliminary exam. If the judge finds enough evidence, the felony is bound over to the circuit court for the rest of the case. That handoff is why a single case can leave records in two courts.
How a Case Moves Through the System
Michigan cases follow a clear ladder from trial court up to the state's highest court. A felony usually starts in the district court, moves to the circuit court after bindover, and can then be appealed. The full appeal path runs through two state appellate courts.
Appeal ladder: District Court › Circuit Court › Michigan Court of Appeals › Michigan Supreme Court
A criminal case moves through set stages before any appeal. After arrest, the district court holds the arraignment and sets bond. A preliminary exam tests the evidence in felony cases. Once bound over, the circuit court takes pretrial motions, plea talks, trial, and sentencing. Only after a final judgment can a party ask the Michigan Court of Appeals to review the outcome, with the Michigan Supreme Court as the last stop.
The 4th District Court in Cass County
The 4th District Court is the county's lower trial court and its highest-volume court. It handles traffic tickets, misdemeanors, small claims, and civil claims up to $25,000. It also runs landlord-tenant cases, ordinance violations, and the early stages of felony cases. The court's district court page gives case lookup, the live docket, forms, and fees.
That landing page is the starting point for most everyday court business in the county.
Because all adult criminal cases open here, the district court is where arraignments, bond decisions, and preliminary exams take place. Its overview page describes the judge, the magistrates, and the treatment court programs. Small claims run up to $6,500, which makes the district court the practical venue for many personal disputes. Traffic questions on paying or contesting a ticket go to the district court by phone.
Cass County Circuit Court Civil Cases
Beyond crime, the circuit court carries the county's largest civil and family docket. Civil suits of $25,000 or more start here, from contract disputes to injury claims. The court also hears appeals from the district court and from state agencies. That makes it both a trial court and a review court within the county.
Family law is a large share of the work. Divorce, custody, parenting time, and support all run through the circuit court, backed by the Friend of the Court office. Personal protection orders and juvenile delinquency cases sit here as well. The Friend of the Court makes support recommendations in cases with minor children and helps enforce orders when a parent falls behind. Because family files can hold sensitive details, some parts are open to the public while others are limited by rule.
Cass County Circuit Court Fees
Opening a circuit court case carries a fee, and copies of records carry their own charges. The county posts current amounts on its circuit court filing fee page and its fines and costs page.
A civil action to start a case runs $150 plus a $25 e-filing system fee, the same base charge used across Michigan trial courts. Fines and costs in criminal and civil matters can be paid over time under a payment plan, and late penalties may apply when a balance goes unpaid. For records that are not posted online, the circuit file room can pull older or non-digitized files by phone or in person. Court files are exempt from the ordinary public-records process, because the judiciary is not a public body under the state FOIA law, so the court route is the correct path.
Note: Circuit court files sit outside the county FOIA system, so certified copies and older case records must be requested through the court file room, not a general records request.
Cass County Specialty Courts
Both trial courts run problem-solving programs for defendants who need treatment rather than only punishment. These specialty courts blend supervision with counseling and are described as evidence-based problem-solving courts on the county's treatment courts page. They aim to cut repeat offenses and steady families.
The programs are split between the two trial courts.
- Adult Treatment Court, district court side, under Judge Stacey A. Rentfrow
- Sobriety Court, district court side, for alcohol and drug cases
- Mental Health Court, circuit court side, under Judge Mark A. Herman
- Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program, circuit court side
- Juvenile matters through the circuit court's juvenile division
Chief Judge Carol Montavon Bealor handles major civil, family, and juvenile matters and also presides over the probate court. Judge Herman leads the circuit criminal docket and the two circuit specialty programs. Together the judges cover a full range of trial and treatment work across the county.
Judges and the Cass County Courthouse
The active courts run from the Cass County Law and Courts Building at 60296 M-62 in Cassopolis, built in 2003. The historic courthouse at 120 N Broadway dates to 1899 and is the subject of a county renovation project funded in 2022. Court business today happens at the M-62 building.
Public service windows for each court department run from 8:00 AM to noon and from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Entry after 4:45 PM is limited because the windows close at 4:30 PM. The circuit court bench includes Judge Mark A. Herman and Chief Judge Carol Montavon Bealor, while Judge Stacey A. Rentfrow presides in the district court. Each judge also carries specialty court duties as part of the county's problem-solving model.
Searching Cass County Circuit Court Records
Public users have several ways to look up a circuit court case. The statewide portal is the broadest tool, while the county's live docket shows current hearings. The clerk holds the physical files behind those online views.
The MiCOURT Case Search lets you search by party name, case number, or attorney across Michigan courts, though it hides data that the law makes nonpublic. The county's circuit and probate live docket refreshes every 30 minutes, and the district court live docket works the same way. For a deeper look at portals and record types, the Cass County court records guide covers each channel. Certified copies and older circuit files run through the county clerk and register office, which keeps the circuit court's paper record.