HOME Commissioners Departments... Committees Services Documents Forms Projects Links			COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE Contact Information Phone: Toll Free:   FAX: Victim Advocate:  231-882-0043 800-404-5977 231-882-0559 231-882-0062 Personnel   John B. Daugherty — Prosecutor Michelle Steffen — Chief Asst. Prosecutor Jill Tooley — Office Administrator Bonnie L. Inman — Victim Advocate/                            Witness Coordinator Location / Address Upper Level Government Center 448 Court Place Beulah, MI 49617 Office Hours   Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Services Offered The Prosecuting Attorney appears for State or County 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 Circuit Court. Description The Benzie County Prosecutor’s Office is committed to serve our community with excellence, integrity and professionalism and to treat all people with fairness, honesty and dignity. We continually work to ensure justice in our courts and strive to make Benzie County a safe place for your family to live, work and grow. The Prosecuting Attorney is an elected official with a four-year term of office, as provided by the Michigan Constitution. Elections occur at the time of the Presidential election, on the partisan ballot. The elected county Prosecuting Attorney is independent of the Michigan Attorney General. Prosecuting Attorney Duties The Prosecuting Attorney's office is responsible for a wide array of legal functions for the County, including: act as the chief law enforcement official in the County. review, authorize and prosecute violations of felony and misdemeanor criminal laws of the State of Michigan and County ordinances committed inside the County. authorize and prosecute felony & misdemeanor juvenile delinquency offenses. represent the County in criminal matters before the District & Circuit Courts; juvenile delinquency, parental neglect and miscellaneous probate matters in the Family Court, and appeals in the Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court. advise the Michigan Department of Human Services on child abuse & neglect petitions, and actions to terminate parental rights. attend contested mental health commitment hearings presides at a monthly Concealed Weapon Permit Board, unless he or she opts off for the remainder of their term. In that case, the county board appoints a certified firearms instructor to replace the Prosecuting Attorney. file and prosecute actions to establish paternity. file actions to establish family support orders. represent and advise the County Board of Commissioners and other County departments on legal matters. District Court—Misdemeanor Cases Misdemeanor cases are crimes where punishment is incarceration in the county jail and handled in District Court. These types of cases are large in number and include assaults (domestic and others), drug use or possession and property crimes. Circuit Court—Family Division The Circuit Court—Family Division are those cases where the Prosecuting Attorney is charged with the responsibility of bringing cases of child neglect or abuse to the court. In addition, the Prosecuting Attorney handles cases of juvenile delinquency and involuntary mental admission (in Probate Court). Circuit Court—Felony Cases Felony cases require a great deal of time and require several court appearances such as preliminary examinations in District Court: and if the case is bound over to Circuit Court, the Prosecuting Attorney is responsible for all proceedings at that level including pre-trials, motion hearings, pleas, trials and sentencing. All felony cases have strict time limits both for preliminary examinations (within 14 days) and trials (within 180 days). Crime Victim Assistance Most crime victims experience physical suffering, financial loss, and emotional stress. The Michigan Crime Victims Rights Act mandates comprehensive rights for all victims. Our Crime Victim Assistance Program provides an extensive notification service to advise them of court proceedings as their case moves through the court system. Frequently Asked Questions Witness FAQs -- coming soon Documents Victim Rights -- coming soon Witness Information -- coming soon Related Web Links Crime Victim Rights Act Glossary of Criminal Terms Michigan Attorney General Michigan Constitution Michigan Department of Human Services Victim Services Directory Note: To view the PDF documents on this page, Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed. If you do not already have it, you can get it free from Adobe. Once installed, simply clicking on the link will bring up the document. Note however that the document will first be transferred to your computer, which can take a while for large documents and/or if you have a slow connection.
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