The 19th District Court has jurisdiction
in civil cases where the amount in dispute is less than $25,000.
The division office operates on weekdays
from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and may be reached by calling 313.943.2342
or 943.2056.
In almost all cases, attorneys represent
plaintiffs. However, plaintiffs do have the right to represent themselves.
To file a civil suit in Dearborn, one must
contact the Civil Division of the 19th District Court to secure a summons
and complaint form. The form calls for the plaintiff to describe the
nature of the dispute and to explain the complaint about the defendant.
Also, the complete name and address of the
defendant is needed to enable the court to serve him or her with a summons.
(Plaintiffs may choose to have their attorney serve the defendant, but
the court will still need the information about the name and address).
The defendant has 21 days to respond
after being served.
If the defendant does not respond within
21 days, the court may enter a default judgment on behalf of the plaintiff.
If the defendant does respond prior to the deadline, a pre-trial date
is set for the involved parties to meet with the judge. Should a settlement
not be forthcoming, a trial date will be set at this time. Either party
may request a jury trial.
If the matter proceeds to trial,
both the plaintiff and defendant will be allowed to present evidence
and call witnesses to the question.
A judge or a jury will make a determination
in the case following the presentation of evidence and witness testimony.
