Terms Used In Michigan Laws 766.7

  • Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Felony: means a violation of a penal law of this state for which the offender, upon conviction, may be punished by imprisonment for more than 1 year or an offense expressly designated by law to be a felony. See Michigan Laws 761.1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Magistrate: means a judge of the district court or a judge of a municipal court. See Michigan Laws 761.1
  • Prosecuting attorney: means the prosecuting attorney for a county, an assistant prosecuting attorney for a county, the attorney general, the deputy attorney general, an assistant attorney general, a special prosecuting attorney, or, in connection with the prosecution of an ordinance violation, an attorney for the political subdivision or governmental entity that enacted the ordinance, charter, rule, or regulation upon which the ordinance violation is based. See Michigan Laws 761.1
  A magistrate may adjourn a preliminary examination for a felony to a place in the county as the magistrate determines is necessary. The defendant may in the meantime be committed either to the county jail or to the custody of the officer by whom he or she was arrested or to any other officer; or, unless the defendant is charged with treason or murder, the defendant may be admitted to bail. The defendant may waive the preliminary examination with the consent of the prosecuting attorney. An adjournment, continuance, or delay of a preliminary examination may be granted by a magistrate without the consent of the defendant or the prosecuting attorney for good cause shown. A magistrate may adjourn, continue, or delay the examination of any cause with the consent of the defendant and prosecuting attorney. An action on the part of the magistrate in adjourning or continuing any case does not cause the magistrate to lose jurisdiction of the case.