Iosco County Circuit Court Overview
The circuit court is Michigan's court of general jurisdiction. It handles civil claims above the district-court limit, felony cases, and serious misdemeanors bound over from the lower court. Domestic relations work sits here too, and that means divorce, custody, parenting time, and support. The court also hears child abuse and neglect matters, juvenile delinquency, and appeals that rise from district court. Review of some local-government board rulings and state administrative decisions lands here as well. Michigan grants this broad power by statute. Under MCL 600.605, the circuit court holds original jurisdiction over all civil claims and remedies unless the law gives that power to another court.
The written grant of authority is set out in Michigan Compiled Laws 600.605, which defines the court's original civil reach.
That statute is the reason large civil suits and felony trials for Iosco County residents are heard at the circuit level and not in the district court. For the county, this trial court is the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court, based at the courthouse complex in Tawas City. One circuit judge presides over the caseload, so hearings, dockets, and rulings all flow through a single bench.
Iosco County Circuit Court Directory
Michigan does not use numbered circuit courts inside a county the way some states number their trial courts. Instead, one circuit serves several counties at once. The 23rd Judicial Circuit Court runs its civil, family, and criminal work through the same office and the same judge. The directory below lists the court that hears Iosco County circuit cases, along with the judge, address, and phone line.
| Court | Judge | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd Judicial Circuit Court | Hon. David C. Riffel | 422 W. Lake St., Tawas City, MI 48763 (PO Box 838) | (989) 362-3497 |
The clerk of the circuit court is the Iosco County Clerk, who keeps the case index and issues certified copies of circuit filings and judgments. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Circuit Court vs. District Court vs. Probate Court
Iosco County has three trial courts, and each one owns a different slice of the caseload. The circuit court takes the largest civil claims, felonies, and family cases. The 81st District Court handles smaller civil claims, traffic, misdemeanors, and the first stages of a felony. The Probate & Family Court manages estates, guardianships, and related family-division work. The table below sets out the split so a case lands in the right place on the first try.
| Circuit Court | District Court | Probate & Family Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Limit | Over $25,000 | Up to $25,000 | Estate & guardianship matters |
| Criminal Jurisdiction | Felonies & serious misdemeanors | Misdemeanors, traffic, felony preliminary exams | Juvenile delinquency |
| Family Cases | Domestic relations, custody, support | — | Adoption, guardianship, name change |
| Appeals | From district court | — | — |
Note: The dollar figure alone does not always decide venue, since some civil actions and remedies belong in circuit court by statute regardless of the amount claimed.
How a Case Moves Through the Iosco County System
A circuit case follows a set path from filing to final order. Criminal matters usually start in the district court and move up to circuit court once a felony is bound over. Civil matters can open directly in circuit court when the claim is large enough. The two flows below show the common stages, though a plea, dismissal, or settlement can end a case early. Appeals from the circuit court go to the Michigan Court of Appeals and then, in rare cases, to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Criminal flow: Arrest › District Court Arraignment on Complaint › Preliminary Examination › Bindover to Circuit Court › Circuit Arraignment on Information › Pretrial › Trial › Sentencing › Appeal
Civil flow: Complaint Filed › Answer › Discovery › Mediation/Facilitation › Trial › Judgment › Appeal
Hearing dates for each stage post to the public circuit calendar, and the full case history can be traced through the statewide case-search tool. People who need the day-by-day schedule can also check the Iosco County court dockets for upcoming settings.
Civil, Family, and Criminal Divisions
The circuit court works in three broad areas. The civil side hears money disputes over the district-court limit, injunctions, and other remedies. The criminal side handles felonies and serious misdemeanors, from arraignment on the information through trial and sentencing. The family division carries domestic relations cases, and that covers divorce, custody, parenting time, spousal and child support, paternity, and personal protection orders. Child abuse and neglect cases and juvenile delinquency also run through the circuit and family structure in the county.
The Friend of the Court office backs up the family division. It sits in the annex directly north of the courthouse and helps enforce custody, parenting time, and support orders. Staff can answer questions on custody and child-support cases and process related payments. A final judgment or order in a domestic case may carry a Friend of the Court fee, which is set by the type of relief the court grants.
The 23rd Judicial Circuit
The 23rd Judicial Circuit is a four-county circuit. It serves Alcona, Arenac, Iosco, and Oscoda counties, and it operates with a single circuit judge, David C. Riffel. That one-judge structure keeps the docket compact and means the same bench hears the circuit's civil, criminal, and family cases across the region. The circuit court in each Michigan county is organized under state statute, which is why every county has a circuit even when several share one judge.
The organization of the circuit courts is fixed in Michigan Compiled Laws 600.601, which sets the framework for how these trial courts are formed and staffed.
Because the circuit spans four counties, a case filed in one county stays with that county's clerk even though the same judge may hear matters elsewhere in the circuit. For Iosco County, all circuit filings, records, and hearings run through the Tawas City courthouse and the county clerk who serves as clerk of the court.
Searching Iosco County Circuit Court Records
Circuit case information reaches the public through a mix of state and county tools. The county-linked circuit route feeds into the statewide system, and the broader MiCOURT search covers civil, criminal, family, and other matters depending on the court and the case status. A public hearing calendar shows the daily schedule, and a separate payment portal handles fines, costs, and other balances. Each tool answers a different question, so the right starting point depends on whether a person needs the schedule, the case history, or the balance due.
- Circuit case-search route for Iosco County circuit matters
- MiCOURT case search for statewide case information, documents, orders, and opinions
- Circuit hearing calendar with a date selector and next and previous controls
- Circuit payment portal to search by case number or by name and date of birth
- Friend of the Court for custody, parenting time, and support cases, reachable at (989) 362-2573
Important: Non-public cases cannot be paid or viewed online, and some juvenile and family matters are sealed by law, so an online search may return nothing even when a case exists. In those situations, contact the court office or file a public-records request.
Iosco County Circuit Court Fees
The circuit court publishes a clear set of fees for common filings. The cost to open a new circuit case is set by statute, and a motion carries its own smaller charge. A personal protection order has no filing fee for the paperwork itself, though law-enforcement service of that order can cost money. Transcripts are ordered through the court reporter and billed under state law. The table below lists the fees a person is most likely to meet when filing or requesting circuit records.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Open a circuit case (filing fee) | $175 |
| Motion filing | $20 |
| Personal protection order (PPO) filing | No fee (service may cost) |
| Transcripts | Ordered through court reporter, billed by statute |
| Friend of the Court final judgment (custody or parenting time) | $80 |
| Friend of the Court final order (support only) | $40 |
| Friend of the Court final judgment (both) | $80 |
Note: Circuit payments generally post within about eight business hours, and account balances can lag a day or two, so a paid item may not clear the online record right away.
The District Court and Lower Court Work
Michigan does not use justice or JP courts, so the lower trial court in the county is the 81st District Court. It handles the early stages of a felony before the case reaches the circuit bench. After an arrest, the district court holds the arraignment on the complaint and the preliminary examination. If the judge finds enough proof, the felony is bound over to the circuit court for trial. The district court also carries misdemeanors, traffic, landlord-tenant matters, small claims, and civil cases up to the district limit. Full detail on that court sits on the Iosco County district court page.
A magistrate at the district court can set bond, issue certain warrants, and handle civil infractions and informal hearings. That work feeds the circuit court because a felony charge starts low and moves up. For the reader, the takeaway is simple. If a case is small, new, or a misdemeanor, check the district court first. If a case is a felony that has been bound over, a large civil claim, or a family matter, the circuit court is the right court.