Prosecution under Township Law

Prosecution under Township Law Waterford, MI

 

 

If an act or event has occurred against you, or your property, which you feel is a violation of Township Ordinance, and you are willing to swear out a complaint and warrant for the arrest of the person or persons and testify in court against them, you must call the Waterford Township Police Department immediately to make a full report, stating the particulars.  You should have available the names and contact information for any and all witnesses to the event.  You should also have available any and all documents and/or photographs associated with the act or event that you believe to be a violation of an ordinance.  You may be required to submit a written statement to the Police Department on a form to be supplied by the officer. Any and all documents, photographs or other supporting items should be taken to the Police Department to be held as evidence in the event that a warrant is authorized.

 

Warrant Process

 

To obtain a warrant you must email the Waterford Township Prosecuting Attorney at mscott@secrestwardle.com. You should place the incident number and the name of the suspect in the subject line of the email requesting a review of the incident report. Simply state in the email that you would like the incident report reviewed to determine whether an arrest warrant will be issued.  

 

The attorney will review the incident report and other evidence submitted to the Police Department to determine whether sufficient evidence exists with which to authorize an arrest warrant. Based upon that review, a decision will be made whether or not to recommend to the court to issue an arrest warrant for the responsible party. You will be notified via reply email of the Prosecuting Attorney’s charging decision.  If the decision is made to authorize an order for warrant, you then must swear to and sign same in the presence of a Judge or Magistrate within 30 days of the notification.

 

The accused will be arraigned or notified of the charges before the court. If a plea of not guilty is entered, the case will be set for hearing or trial. You, as a complaining witness, will be notified of the trial or pretrial date. You must appear when subpoenaed. Be prepared to spend as much as 1/2 day in court for a trial. Expect to personally testify against the responsible party and be prepared to be subjected to cross-examination by the defense attorney.

 

The Township Attorneys will prosecute the case on your behalf at the expense of Waterford Township. You should keep the Prosecutor advised of your current address, if you should move during the proceedings.  If it is your request that the Court order restitution for any out of pocket expenses associated with the charge, you must submit via email any and all invoices and receipts to the Prosecutor in order for the Court to be properly notified of such a request.

 

Note: The court dockets are full and justice by law takes time. If you are unsure about following up on a complaint or about testifying in court, do not seek a complaint and warrant. Any other legal questions should be directed to the Township Attorney via email, not the police or court personnel.

 

In the event that you do not have access to email, your request can be submitted via regular first class mail to: 

 

Waterford Township Prosecutor

Margaret Scott

2600 Troy Center Dr.

PO Box 5025

Troy MI 48007-5025

 

Attention-Request for Warrant Review