Antkoviak
By Gari Voss
The Honorable Matthew Antkoviak of the Allegan County 48th Circuit Court received notice from the Honorable Megan Cavanagh, Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, that he was reappointed to Chief Circuit Court Judge in Allegan County beginning January 1, 2026. Chief Judge Antkoviak of the 48th Circuit Court joins Chief Judge Joseph S. Skocelas of the 57th District Court to provide the administrative support of the judges in Allegan County.
Being appointed as chief judge is an honor while being a responsibility. That responsibility is to Michigan’s judiciary, to colleagues in the home courts, and to each person who steps into the courtroom. But the expectation is that these judges not only work within the judicial system but also in the communities that their courts serve.
In Judge Antkoviak’s letter of appointment, Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court Megan Cavanagh stated, “In accepting this appointment, you also accept this challenge: A justice must be available to everyone, not just to those who can afford it. To enhance access, we must work diligently to ensure that our courts are open to all. At the same time the judiciary must be adapted to the needs of those it serves and attuned to the problems and concerns of the communities that most depend on our work. This means that judges must be willing to engage with civic organizations and community leaders, taking the lead in being responsive to the needs of those we serve.”
The Allegan County courts have been anchored by a respected group of judges and support staff. Whether the 48th Circuit Court, the 57th District Court, or the Probate Court, the responsibilities of the chief judges are similar while focusing on their areas of expertise.
The 48th Circuit Court will concentrate on trials for all felonies, civil suits over $25,000, and all family matters like divorce, custody issues, child support, adoption, and domestic violence. Judges of the Family Division have jurisdiction over cases involving juvenile delinquents, abused and neglected children, adoptions, name changes, emancipation, and parental consent waivers. It also reviews decisions from the county, municipal, and magistrate courts or administrative agencies.
While the Circuit Court addresses the higher level issues, the 57th District Court takes care of suits of $25,000 or less, adult criminal misdemeanor offenses punishable up to one year in prison, civil infractions or traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims civil suits of $6,500 or less, and land contract forfeitures. It is the District Court that can issue arrest and search warrants, set bail and accept bonds, conduct arraignments for misdemeanors and felonies, and perform marriage ceremonies.
Not to be forgotten is the Probate Court. In Allegan County, one judge handles estates and trusts of the deceased, guardianships, conservatorships for minors and adults, mental health situations, delayed registrations of foreign birth, drain appeals, and can hold wills for safe keeping. This means ensuring that vulnerable individuals are protected including finance management and mental health.
All three courts work diligently in ensuring that all are given fair, timely, and trusted justice. But when decisions are appealed, the appeals of the District and Probate Courts are heard by the Circuit Court. People appealing decisions of the Circuit Court go to the state level.
While most citizens see only the more public layer of the courts, there are many administrative responsibilities that fall to the chief judge, there include a number of issues in which the chief judge must be involved in and offer input, and at times be the final authority.
As the Honorable Antkoviak shared, “From the administrative perspective, I would argue that the role is more like a chief administrator position. So, I handle all sorts of aspects about the governance of the courts including docket assignments plus hiring and firing. Ultimately, those decisions are left with me. It’s a level of responsibility that is different in every court, but it requires a lot of thought and contemplation. I enjoy the challenge and dealing with the situations.”
Antkoviak explained that being chief judge leads to a new level of understanding. Reflecting back, “Just taking the bench initially was very enlightening. From the perspective of being a practicing attorney, you are part of a process, but as a judge, you are looking at it from the other side. That is, looking at all of the factors going into not only making a decision in a particular case, but running the court as a whole. That is only one piece of the puzzle as a whole because as in the judiciary, I look at our court systems as collateral and collaborative. I think there are many things that we do as judges where we can work together, so we have monthly meetings called the Judicial Council where we get together and talk about issues that affect us as a whole.”
Those issues in common can relate to courthouse security, the use of technology in hearing cases, and other pieces that affect all of the judges and their staffs. The judges collaborate to find a combined solution or increase understanding with input from all sectors. In that way, the judges work together on the issues.
“When you are a judge, you are responsible for setting the tone while setting the policies,” reflected Antkoviak. “In any process as an attorney, you get to know how different judges work and how different systems work. It is different when you are on the other side.”
For the Judicial Council, one concern that arose during the construction of the newest section of the courtrooms was the height of the judge’s bench. During the building process, an incident arose in a court in another part of the country when a defendant jumped over judge’s bench. The potential for having a litigant jump over the bench became part of the conversation. By working with contractors, a solution was found.
As Judge Antkoviak looked forward, several thoughts came to mind. First was the need to adjust schedules because those involved may be needed in several courts, so times must be taken into consideration. Administratively, there is importance in carrying out those tasks efficiently with clear communication. Weekly meetings with circuit court staff, anchored by Court Administrator Jennifer Brink, remained high on the list of goals. In addition, the desire for a monthly meeting with the Allegan County Clerk was needed to assist in the process.
“I want to continue having good conversations and open dialogue about how the circuit court can better work together not only to meet the needs of the litigants but also the employees in the court system,” explained Judge Antkoviak. “So that would be one of my main goals.
“Obviously, there are others we work closely with,” continued the Judge. “The CCAB [County Correction Advisory Board] is important as it relates to keeping informed about what is going on with some of the alternatives to incarceration and the services they provide. We also have the Legal Assistance Center that is not part of the Circuit Court, but they assist with the administration of the court by assisting low income litigants. By helping people handle legal matters that would be extremely difficult to navigate without an attorney, people are able to navigate the paper work and system.”
As Judge Antkoviak continued to explore goals during the coming years, training came to mind that judges attend. Some are offered at the statewide level through the State Court Administrative office.
Specific to Allegan County, the judges maintain involvement with the Specialty Courts. Again, these give judges options when working with litigants. Judges are assigned to the different courts. At this time, Judge Antkoviak is involved with the Business Court, which is a Specialty Court designed to handle litigation between businesses quickly and efficiently.
“The premise of the Business Court is to get to heart of the matter and resolve the issue quickly and efficiently with minimal cost,” reflected Antkoviak. “This will get them back to work in a way that will benefit all. When a third judge was assigned to Allegan County, the State mandated that a Business Court be established. It was natural for me to take all the business litigation cases as part of my responsibilities. Judge Margaret Bakker has the Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation program, and Judge Jipp assists the Adult Treatment Court.”
In short, Judge Antkoviak wants to have all of the facts in business cases while being sensitive to the knowledge that businesses must be in operation in order to complete their work.
During monthly Judicial Council meetings that are run by Judge Jolene Clearwater of the Probate Court, Judge Clearwater, Chief Judge Antkoviak and Chief Judge Joseph S. Skocelas and their staffs can have meaningful conversations.
Judge Skocelas was appointed to the 57th District Court on April 26, 2006. This is the third time Judge Skocelas has taken the reins as chief judge. As with Judge Antkoviak, he works closely with his Court Administrator Laurie Tange and the State Court Administrator to manage policy, budget, administration, and day-to-day operations of their courts.
Even with the added responsibilities associated with a chief judge, both judges keep a pulse on community needs and programs to meet those needs as alluded to by Chief Justice Cavanagh. Judge Skocelas has been an instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Academy, and the Citizen’s Police Academy for the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department and the Michigan State Police. In response to needs, he founded the “Court in the Schools” program for Allegan County High Schools in 2007 and the first Specialty Court in Allegan County, the Mental Health Treatment Court in 2009 that has 152 successful graduates of the program to date. Judge Antkoviak has kept a pulse on the City of Allegan Planning and Parks Commission, been involved in the Court in the Schools Program, along with the Forgotten Man Ministries.
Congratulations to both of these judges for their appointments and going beyond normal duties as a judge to address the needs of the litigants in Allegan County’s courts.
