Court Visitors
Observations of court proceedings at the 36th District Court is, and, can be a very
positive experience for students and allows them an opportunity to see the court as an
integral part of the justice system in a “real” court environment.
The 36th District Court has jurisdiction for the following actions occurring in the City of
Detroit:
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All Traffic and Ordinance Violations
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All Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
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Preliminary Examinations for Felony Cases
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Small Claims Suits
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Civil Lawsuits (other than small claims) for amounts up to $25,000.00
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All Real Estate Matters Involving Rent and Land Contract Disputes
Courtroom observations for high school students are arranged through the Office of the
Court Administrator at (313) 965-2568. Please provide the following information:
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The instructor(s) name, telephone and fax number, name of the
school, number of students and the requested date of your visit.
Courtroom proceedings may be observed Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to
11:30 a.m. Due to limited space in the courtrooms, no more than 25 students are
allowed per visit and at least 3 chaperones are required. Click and review the
Prohibited Items list prior to your visit. All surrendered items will be confiscated and will
not be returned.
On demand or short notice visits are not available and must be scheduled two weeks in
advance to allow for courtroom availability and clearance into the building. A court
representative will meet you in the Lobby and direct you to those courtrooms which are
available for viewing.
Domestic Violence Early Intervention Program
The 36th District Domestic Violence Early Intervention Program (DVIP) was an
innovative program that started in 1994 in an effort, by the Court to reduce domestic
violence by educating defendants about domestic violence and its adverse effect. The
DVIP was held at the 36th District Court every Saturday and attendance was mandatory
as a condition of the defendant’s bond. Although the class was not a counseling
session, defendants were urged to follow their cases to completion instead of continuing
a cycle of violence. The session included group discussions, video presentations and
information on the legal process. The DVIP was discontinued in October 2013.
The Handgun Intervention Program
The Handgun Intervention Program (H.I.P.) was established by the late Honorable Willie
G. Lipscomb., in July 1993 as a result of a bright, college-bound teenager who was shot
and killed. In an effort to help make the streets of Detroit safer and no longer able to
watch gun-toting youths pass through his courtroom without a lesson, Judge Lipscomb
launched H.I.P. His innovative program strived to educate citizens about the senseless
violence that all too often resulted from the possession of handguns. The H.I.P. focused
on the pervasive problem of youth homicide resulting from illegal handguns carried by
children and young adults. The program targeted predominately African American
males who were first or second–time offenders between the ages of 17-28 who were
charged with carrying illegal and/or concealed weapons. The program was
discontinued in October 2013.