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I\u2019m sure the reader is much more interested in what he or she can expect in Troy, rather than a personal history lesson from me. The 52-4 District Court has jurisdiction over all cases arising in cities of both Clawson and Troy. It\u2019s a very decent court. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the most lenient, 10 being the toughest, and 5 being about average, I\u2019d rate Troy about a 5, meaning that it is<\/strong> about average, leaning neither more toward the \u201clenient\u201d nor the \u201ctough\u201d side. Whatever else, you won\u2019t get hammered here, nor is anyone likely to ever leave feeling like they got screwed over.<\/p>\nOf course, this is all relative, and my numerical ranking above is based upon my <\/em>experience in that court, and assumes that a person will comply with the conditions of his or her bond, like testing. As far as DUI\u2019s go, it would be foolish to not acknowledge that society has lost much of its patience for drunk drivers. Drinking and driving laws have been made tougher all the way around. In some courts, that \u201ctoughness\u2019 can seem almost mean-spirited, but that\u2019s never the case in Troy. In fact, even when they have to be firm, the Judges here will explain themselves in a way that, even if a person doesn\u2019t agree, at least he or she will feel acknowledged and heard, rather than ignored.<\/p>\n To be sure, the 52-4 district court in Troy handles a lot of DUI cases. It is a big city, both in the geographic and metropolitan sense. Both I-75 and M-59 cut through it, along with around 15 other major roads. This city of just under 100,000 is home to 2 major shopping malls (Oakland Mall, and the famous, and exclusive Somerset Mall), and houses the offices of and headquarters for many large corporations.<\/p>\n Troy has everything from million-plus dollar homes to multi-family apartments. It is a work and recreation destination for thousands of people, with tens of thousands more passing through each day. Big Beaver (also known as 16 Mile Road) is a major thoroughfare, and between it and the other large arteries, Troy has a lot of traffic. There is a lot to do in this city. Inevitably, this translates to a lot of DUI cases.<\/p>\n There is a long history and an accompanying story about how OWI<\/a> cases used to be handled in Troy, but, like the Roman Empire, that\u2019s all ancient history now. I think it\u2019s safe to assume the reader is more concerned about how things are now, rather than how they used to be. The good news, in that regard, is that today, the 52-4 court is a better location<\/a> to face a DUI than it was even 15 years ago.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t delve much into an examination of the Judges when I do these articles, for several reasons. First, do you really care where the Judge went to college, or law school? If I was facing a DUI, the only thing I\u2019d care about is if the Judge is tough or lenient. Any person having to go to court would rather get a break from someone who graduated last in his or her class than get pounded by the smartest Judge in the country.<\/p>\n Second, if a lawyer \u201crates\u201d any one Judge, then he or she will be expected to rate them all, and thereafter, even the act of not rating one or more can seem like a commentary. Some things are best discussed in the privacy of an in-office conversation, and this is one of them. However, just so the reader doesn\u2019t get the wrong idea, I can honestly say that I genuinely<\/strong>\u00a0like and respect both of the Troy Judges, a lot.<\/p>\n Judge Kirsten Neilsen Hartig has been a lawyer since 1996, and has been a Judge in the 52-4 district court since 2010.<\/p>\n Judge Maureen McGinnis has been a lawyer since 2003, and has been a Judge in the 52-4 district court since 2014.<\/p>\n Both of these Judges are smart, understanding, and follow the law, even when it works in favor of a person beating a case. This is important because it shows a first-rate degree of integrity. This is one of the reasons I like this court so much.<\/p>\n Neither of the Judges has any kind of \u201ctemper\u201d issues or hang-ups, either. They are truly decent, solid, patient, and, most of all, fair. The presence of those qualities and the absence of any negative quirks mean that lawyers don\u2019t have to sigh and then try and politely explain the \u201cbad news\u201d to some poor client. If your case winds up in this Troy<\/a>\u00a0you did NOT get unlucky.<\/p>\n Also – and this matters a lot – these Judges explain themselves. As a criminal and DUI lawyer, it\u2019s inevitable that I sometimes wind up representing people who have long records. In a criminal or DUI case<\/a>, there are certain breaks reserved for those who have never been in trouble before, or who otherwise have decent records and whose previous legal issues seem minor and\/or more about youthful indiscretion, rather than being the Energizer Bunny of crime.<\/p>\n However, even in the case of someone who has long ago exhausted everyone\u2019s patience, these Judges will take the time to explain why they\u2019re imposing a particular sentence, rather than just barking out some sentence and calling the next case.<\/p>\n Beyond validating a person (as well as his or her lawyer<\/a>) by acknowledging that they\u2019ve been heard<\/a>, that also demonstrates that the Judge has taken the time to think about the matter, and has made a genuine effort to come to the right decision. That doesn\u2019t mean the lawyer or defendant will always agree with or like that decision, but at least it won\u2019t leave someone feeling like they didn\u2019t even get the time of day.<\/p>\n While that may be cold comfort to the career criminal who doesn\u2019t get a break, it\u2019s also good news for someone who, despite his or her current situation, wants the Judge to understand how something like a DUI does not reflect who they are. I\u2019m a firm believer that who you are<\/a> as a person matters (at least when you\u2019re not best identified as a career criminal, or otherwise incorrigible).<\/p>\n It\u2019s not only the Judges, however, that make or break a court. In fact, the \u201cattitude\u201d of the probation department can have a very significant impact on how a person experiences a case and what happens to him or her.<\/p>\n