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Criminal FAQs

What forms of payment are accepted?
You can mail in money order payments; call in credit/debit card payments to Government Payment Service, or pay in person with cash or money order.
How long does it take for payments to be posted to probationer accounts?
Depending on the form of payment. Window payments are posted immediately; Credit/debit card payments are posted within the same date of receipt of transaction confirmation from GPS; Mail payments are posted within 7 to 10 business days from receipt of the actual payment.
What is the process for getting a bond refund?
Only the person who physically posted (i.e. paid and/or signed the bond posting documents) is eligible to apply for the refund, which must be done in person, at the Cashier's Office window. If you live out of town (over 100 miles away), you are to submit to our office, via mail, a notarized letter inclusive of all relative case information (defendant's name, case number, bond amount, etc.) and a copy of your ID. This will be processed as if you came to the office.
How long does it take to receive a bond refund?
Anywhere between 4 to 8 weeks.
What it the process relative to restitution payments?
Restitution payments are disbursed at the end of each calendar month and only when a probationer has made a payment. Therefore, if the probationer has not made a payment on his/her case, the victim will not receive a payment until such occurs. Restitution payments are mailed out by the 15th of each month, for collections received in the previous month.
How do I make sure that I am set up to receive restitution payments?
Contact the Victims Advocacy in the Prosecutor's Office for them to have you complete the victim verification process. That office will then forward the victim identification information to the Cashier's Office and it will be set up accordingly.
What forms of identification are acceptable?
You must have a current government issued ID (i.e. driver's license, state ID, MDOC inmate tag). Expired IDs are not acceptable.
What if I have questions regarding my case fee assessments amount?
Secure a copy of your probation order, which should detail the specific amounts you are ordered to pay. If there was an error made on the assessment of your fees, it will be corrected but only upon proof of what your actual amounts are. You must see your probation officer for this information or report to room 901.
What other assessments are collected in the Cashier's Office?
Aside from restitution payments, the Cashier's Office collects all court ordered assessments, inclusive of Court Costs, Attorney Fees, Fines, Crime Victim Fees, State Minimum Costs, Forensic Fees and any associated late fees.
What types of bonds can be posted?
The type of bond that is posted is determined by the type that the Judge orders. There are basically four types of bonds: 10% Bonds, Cash Bonds, Surety Bonds and Personal Bonds.
  • 10% Bonds are where the person paying the money is required to pay 10% of the full bail amount ordered. There is a 10% fee associated with posting a 10% bond.
  • Cash Bonds are where the person paying the money will pay the full bail amount ordered.
  • Surety Bonds are where a person goes to a bonding agency and pledges some form of collateral and that agency will then pay the ordered bond amount. It may be either a 10% Bond or Cash Bond that a bonding agency pays to the Court.
  • Personal Bonds are where the defendant is released upon his/her personal promise to appear in Court when scheduled.
What causes a bond to be forfeited?
A bond is forfeited when the defendant fails to appear in Court, after the bond has been posted. At that time of forfeiture, the bond amount is transferred to Wayne County and the surety isn't allowed to get the refund back until they can secure a reinstatement from the Judge.
What recourse do I have if I have applied for a bond refund and it has been over 8 weeks (2 months) since I initially applied?
You are to come to the Cashier's Office, where confirmation of the check's status will be determined. If it is determined that the checks is still outstanding, then you will have to complete a missing check affidavit and this will be forwarded to the Wayne County Treasurer. Research relative to the location and status of the check is that Department's responsibility.
How long does it take to get a replacement check for a lost/stolen check?
That depends upon how soon the Wayne County Treasurer's Office determines the status of the check and how soon the Accounts Payable Dept. cuts the replacement. This process is independent of the Cashier's Office.
Can a probationer specify what fees are to be paid?
The probationer/payee must tell the cashier which fees the payment is to be applied against. This is only applicable to payments received at the window.
Can a bond refund be applied against case fees?
If the surety on a bond refund is the defendant and he/she has been assessed fees, those fees are automatically deducted from any refund that he/she is entitled to. If the defendant has multiple cases with existing fees, the refund will be applied against any balance that is currently on record with the Third Circuit Court. If there is a refund balance after the application against case fees, then the defendant is entitled to that amount.
Can a bond refund be transferred/signed over to another individual?
Yes. If the surety is the defendant on the associated case, any and all fees due to the Court will be taken before any refund will be given to any specific designated receipient. In order to sign over a bond to another person, a Irrevocable Bond Assignment form must be completed and notarized and presented to the Cashier's Office.
What happens to a bond that has not been refunded within a specific amount of time?
Bonds posted on cases that have been closed more than a year, will be sent to the State of Michigan, as unclaimed property, if the surety fails to come forward for the refund within a specified time frame. Ample notice is provided to all bond sureties, in an effort to disburse as much bond money as possible, prior to sending these funds to the State.
Are all the fees mandatory?
The Crime Victim Fee and State Minimum Cost are two mandatory fees which are payable to the State of Michigan and are to be paid. The Judge can order waiver or allow the probationer to complete community service in lieu of payment of discretionary fees.
What are Late Fees?
Beginning in April 2008, the Third Circuit Court began assessing a 20% late fee, relative to outstanding Court Costs, Attorney Fees and Fines. This means that if a probationer has any of these fees that are outstanding for 56 days or longer, there will be a 20% late fee assessed against the balance each of these assessments. It is a one-time assessment.
Can I get case information over the phone?
Financially related case information is not provided over the phone, simply for the purposes of maintaining confidentially. If a caller is requesting to know a balance, whether restitution payments have been made, etc., that person is directed to come into the office, present ID and at that time, the information is provided. For cases relative to restitution victims, the person needs to first contact either the probationer's probation officer or the Victim's Advocacy Office, for specific verification prior to release of any information. The probation officer will either contact the Cashier's Office or provide the victim with whatever information is available. The Victim's Advocacy Office will provide the information to the victim.
What happens if a probationer overpays his/her case assessments?
If an overpayment is received and the probationer has no additional cases with the Third Circuit Court that may have an existing balance, then the probationer is entitled to a refund. The refund is set up on the probationer's account and the money will be disbursed at the end of the month and will be mailed to him/her by the 15th of the following Month.