Oakland County, Michigan
Oakland County, and its particular courts.
Oakland County runs its courts differently from Wayne, and anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't practiced in both. Felonies and divorces go to the 6th Circuit Court in Pontiac. Misdemeanors and traffic stay in a district court system that includes the 52nd District Court's four separate divisions, each with its own bench and its own habits.
Where felonies and divorces go
The 6th Circuit Court, Pontiac
Oakland County felonies, divorces, and custody cases are heard at the 6th Judicial Circuit Court on North Telegraph Road in Pontiac. The circuit runs specialized dockets, including family, juvenile, business, and treatment courts, and the treatment court track in particular can matter enormously in a case involving substance use, because it's sometimes the difference between a conviction and a path that ends without one. Whether that option is realistic depends on the charge, the record, and the judge, which is a conversation worth having before the first plea date rather than after.
Courts and communities
District courts across Oakland County
52nd District Court, 1st Division
Novi. Covering Novi, Wixom, Walled Lake, South Lyon and the surrounding townships.
52nd District Court, 2nd Division
Clarkston. Independence Township and the county's northern communities.
52nd District Court, 3rd Division
Rochester Hills. Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills and Oakland Township.
52nd District Court, 4th Division
Troy. Troy and Clawson, one of the busier divisions.
43rd District Court
Hazel Park, Ferndale and Madison Heights. Three cities, separate locations, along the county's southern border with Wayne.
44th District Court
Royal Oak. A busy docket in one of the county's densest areas.
45th District Court
Berkley and Oak Park. Split across the 45A and 45B divisions.
46th District Court
Southfield, Lathrup Village and Bingham Farms. High traffic volume along the Lodge and Northwestern corridors.
47th District Court
Farmington and Farmington Hills. The county's western edge, bordering Wayne.
48th District Court
Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Sylvan Lake and surrounding communities. Covering several of the county's wealthiest municipalities.
50th District Court
Pontiac. The county seat, in the same city as the circuit court.
51st District Court
Waterford Township. One of the county's largest townships by population.
Why it matters
Why the Wayne to Oakland difference is real
Drivers get caught by this constantly. A ticket written on Telegraph Road can land in a Wayne County court or an Oakland County one depending on which side of the line you were on, and the two counties don't treat the same violation the same way. Reduction practice differs, the prosecutor's office is organized differently, and a plea that would be routine in one court can be a genuine negotiation in the other. If you live in Wayne and got stopped in Oakland, or the reverse, that's worth a phone call before you decide to just pay it.
What we handle in Oakland County
Worth reading first
- Should you fight a Michigan traffic ticket?
- How Michigan license points work
- Drag racing charges and Dream Cruise week
Serving other counties too: see all our service areas.
Common questions
Questions we get about this county.
Which Oakland County district court handles my ticket?
The one covering the city where you were stopped. Oakland has a dozen district court locations, including the 44th in Royal Oak, the 46th in Southfield, the 47th in Farmington Hills, the 50th in Pontiac, and the four separate divisions of the 52nd. The citation itself names the court, and that name determines what a realistic outcome looks like.
Why does the 52nd District Court have four divisions?
Because it covers a large and spread out portion of the county. The 1st Division sits in Novi, the 2nd in Clarkston, the 3rd in Rochester Hills, and the 4th in Troy. They share a number but not a bench, so each division has its own judges and its own local practice. Being told your case is in the 52nd isn't enough information on its own.
Where do Oakland County felonies and divorces go?
To the 6th Circuit Court on North Telegraph Road in Pontiac. That court handles all Oakland County felonies, civil cases above the district court limit, and every divorce, custody, and personal protection matter through its family division. It also runs specialized dockets, including treatment courts that can matter a great deal in a case involving substance use.
Is Oakland County tougher than Wayne County on the same charge?
They're different rather than uniformly tougher, and the difference is real. The prosecutor's office is organized differently, and local practice around reductions and diversion varies from court to court. Drivers stopped on a road that runs along the county line are often surprised which county their ticket lands in, and it changes the strategy.
Free consultation
Case in Oakland County? Call us.
Tell us the court and the charge, and we'll tell you how that division tends to handle it. The consultation is free.