Lansing City Government

Lansing City Legal Profile

The attorneys at Nacht Law are dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of individuals and businesses in Lansing and across the state of Michigan. Nacht Law is a team of experienced litigators, providing advice and representation in all matters employment, civil rights, and business litigation. In employment matters: our lawyers regularly stand up for the rights of Lansing whistleblowers, victims of retaliation, discrimination, harassment, or those seeking to manage accommodation and medical leave issues, or unemployment compensation. Nacht Law lawyers counsel Lansing businesses and non-profits seeking sound legal advice on personnel policies, human resources, non-compete issues, and business litigation. Our lawyers serve Lansing doctors and medical groups seeking to retain new people, set policies, third-party Medicare audits, and compliance programs. And we provide skilled criminal defense for Lansing professionals and others fighting for their civil right to be presumed innocent.

Mayor of Lansing is Virg Bernero, and the Lansing City Attorney is Brig Smith. The City Attorney appears for the city in all criminal prosecutions in Circuit Court and District Court, as well as appearances in delinquency, neglect, mental incompetency, and adult guardianship proceedings in both Probate Court and the Family Division of the Circuit Court. The City Attorney shares jurisdiction with the Michigan Attorney General for any crime that is committed in the city of Plymouth, but is independent of that State or county office.

Lansing District Court

District Courts: A district court has exclusive jurisdiction of all civil litigation where the amount in dispute is less than $25,000; and handles many local land use disputes, debt collection actions, and eviction proceedings. The district courts generally handle all misdemeanor charges where punishments do not exceed one year, including arraignment, setting and acceptance of bail, trial and sentencing; and conduct preliminary examinations in felony cases.

54-A District Court of Lansing handles most traffic violations, all civil cases with claims up to $25,000, landlord-tenant matters, most traffic tickets, and all misdemeanor criminal cases where punishment does not exceed more than one year in jail. Small claims cases up to $3,000 are heard by the district court and the district court conducts preliminary exams in felony cases. In addition, a district court may conduct felony arraignments and accept pleas.

All criminal cases, for persons 17 years or older, begin in the district court. The district court explains to the defendant the charges, his or her rights, and the possible consequences if convicted of the charge. The court also determines the bail amount and collects bail. If the defendant is charged with a misdemeanor that is punishable by not more than one year in jail, the district court will conduct a trial and sentence the defendant if found guilty. In felony cases (generally, cases that are punishable by more than one year in prison) the district court will set the bail amount and hold a preliminary examination to determine if a crime was committed and if there is probable cause to believe the defendant committed the crime. If so, the case is transferred to the circuit court for trial. Currently the 54-A District Court has 5 judges and 1 attorney magistrate. The 54-A District Court is the largest of three district courts in Ingham County. The 54-B District Court located in the city of East Lansing, and the 55th District Court located in the city of Mason, are also in Ingham County.

54-A District Court Judges are: Frank J. DeLuca, Patrick F. Cherry, Amy Krause, Louise Alderson, and Charles F. Filice

Employment in Lansing

Major Lansing employers include: