{"data":{"id":"us-mi/mich.-comp.-laws-600.8821","jurisdiction":"us-mi","citation":"Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.8821","heading":"Formal hearing.","body":"Sec. 8821.\n\nA formal hearing shall be conducted only by a judge of the district court or a municipal court.\n\nIn a formal hearing, the defendant may be represented by an attorney, but is not entitled to counsel appointed at public expense.\n\nNotice of a formal hearing shall be given to the prosecuting attorney. The prosecuting attorney shall appear in court for a formal hearing and is responsible for the issuance of a subpoena to each witness for the plaintiff. The defendant may also subpoena witnesses. Witness fees need not be paid in advance to a witness. Witness fees for a witness on behalf of the plaintiff are payable by the district control unit of the district court for the place where the hearing occurs.\n\nThere shall not be a jury trial in a formal hearing.\n\nIf the judge determines by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is responsible for a state civil infraction, the judge shall enter an order against the defendant as provided in section 8827. Otherwise, a judgment shall be entered for the defendant, but the defendant is not entitled to costs of the action.","path":["MI Code","Chapter 600","Act Act-236-of-1961"],"source_url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-8821","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:31Z","sha256":"99968493b66716cdab30c8723e5ae408c3b096c1a5094309c793fd18dfac4404","source_id":"us-mi","stale":false,"prev":"us-mi/mich.-comp.-laws-600.8819","next":"us-mi/mich.-comp.-laws-600.8823"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}