Terms Used In Michigan Laws 600.8512a

  • Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
  • Civil infraction: means an act or omission that is prohibited by a law and is not a crime under that law or that is prohibited by an ordinance, as defined in section 8701, and is not a crime under that ordinance, and for which civil sanctions may be ordered. See Michigan Laws 600.113
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  Only to the extent expressly authorized by the chief judge, presiding judge, or only judge of the district court district, a district court magistrate may do 1 or more of the following:
  (a) Accept an admission of responsibility, decide a motion to set aside a default or withdraw an admission, and order civil sanctions for a civil infraction and order an appropriate civil sanction permitted by the statute or ordinance defining the act or omission.
  (b) Accept a plea of guilty or nolo contendere and impose sentence for a misdemeanor or ordinance violation punishable by a fine and which is not punishable by imprisonment by the terms of the statute or ordinance creating the offense.