88th District Court
P.O. Box 789
Atlanta, MI 49709
Phone: (989)785-8035 Fax: (989)785-8036
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Court Holidays -
Montmorency County also observes Good Friday as a holiday closure. Click map -
88th District Court Staff
Judge Benjamin T. Bolser
District Court Judge
Montmorency County Veterans Treatment Court Judge
Chief Judge of Alpena/Montmorency Counties
Kristen Cheedie
Court Administrator/Magistrate
Clerk of the Court
Shanna Firman
Deputy Court Administrator/Chief Deputy Clerk
Traffic & Criminal Division
Ashley Valentine
Deputy Clerk/Civil Division
Jury Coordinator
Annette Porter
District Court Probation Officer
Montmorency County Veterans Court Coordinator
Court Appointed Attorney (Indigent Counsel)
Ph.
Email.
Divisions
Helpful Links
DISTRICT COURT OVERVIEW
As required by the 1963 Michigan Constitution, legislation passed in 1968 to create our district court system. The effective date was June 17, 1968, and most courts began operation on January 1, 1969. The district court is often referred to as “The People’s Court,” because the public has more contact with the district court than with any other court in the state and because many people go to district
court without an attorney.
The district court handles traffic violations, civil infractions, criminal misdemeanor dispositions (not to exceed one year in jail), felony criminal arraignments, preliminary exams and pleas. Civil cases including small claims, landlord-tenant/land contract forfeiture disputes.disputes seeking money damages cannot exceed $25,000 in district court. Unless suppressed by a court order or defined by statute as non-public,
everything in district court is public knowledge.
Disclosure: The information on our website attempts to explain only the highlights of the District Court legal process and is not a complete statement of the law. Clerks of the court will be happy to assist you in the processing of your claims but they ARE NOT ATTORNEYS AND CANNOT GIVE OUT LEGAL ADVICE. If you have further questions, you may wish to consult an attorney or have an attorney represent you.