48th Criminal Division Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the Frequently Asked Questions regarding 48th District Court Criminal Division. For a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions for the entire 48th District Court, visit our FAQ page.

What are the Court's hours?

If I receive a misdemeanor ticket, what do I do?

When and how are arraignments conducted?

How do I change a court date?

What happens when I miss a court date?

My son, daughter, boyfriend, husband, wife, etc. has been taken into custody. How can I find out when he/she will be arraigned (informed of charges) at the court?

When can I get my bond back?

I received an order for fingerprints. What do I do?

How do I get a court appointed attorney and how much will one cost me?

How much money should I bring to my court date?

What do I need to do to have a conviction expunged from my record?

What are the Court's hours?

We are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit our Holiday Schedule to find out when the Court is closed.

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If I receive a misdemeanor ticket, what do I do?

If you receive a misdemeanor ticket, you must appear in court on the date and time indicated on the ticket.

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When and how are arraignments conducted?

Arraignments are conducted on a walk-in basis between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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How do I change a court date?

Visit our Adjournment Page to find out more information.

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What happens when I miss a court date?

If you fail to appear in court on a misdemeanor or felony charge, the judge may issue a bench warrant for your arrest and your bond may be forfeited. If a warrant is issued, you must immediately appear in court to be arraigned.

If you fail to appear on a Civil Infraction charge, a default judgment will be entered. Please see the Defaulted Tickets page from the Traffic Division.

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My son, daughter, boyfriend, husband, wife, etc. has been taken into custody. How can I find out when he/she will be arraigned (informed of charges) at the court?

The arresting police agency is responsible for transporting in-custody defendants to the court for arraignment. The court usually has no prior knowledge as to when a defendant will be transported to court by the police agency.

In some situations, a defendant may not be transported and a video arraignment is scheduled between the arresting police agency or Oakland County Jail and the 48th District Court. If you have additional questions, please contact the arresting police agency.

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When can I get my bond back?

Bonds may be returned when there is a final disposition in the case and all fines, fees and costs are satisfied.

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I received an order for fingerprints. What do I do?

If you have not yet been fingerprinted, follow the instructions on the order. As long as you have already been fingerprinted for the current incident, you may disregard this order. The exception to this would be if you are contacted by an officer to return to be reprinted.

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How do I get a court appointed attorney and how much will one cost me?

Visit our Court Appointed Attorney page.

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How much money should I bring to my court date?

All fees and fines are assessed and due at time of sentencing MCR 1.110. Fines and costs can be paid by cash, check, money order or credit card. Please see our method of payment page for further details.

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What do I need to do to have a conviction expunged from my record?

A conviction for a non-traffic offense reportable to the Secretary of State may be set aside by the court, as stated in MCL 257.732 (20), but the court cannot order the removal of the driving record.

You may not apply until:

• 5 years have passed since the date you were sentenced for the conviction if you were not imprisoned, or
• If you were imprisoned, 5 years have passed since release from a term of imprisonment for the conviction.

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