MJI Expanded Its Library
of Publications
This year, the Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI) added the
District Court Magistrate Manual (DCMM) to its library and will continue to
maintain this publication like all other benchbooks. MJI convened a committee of district court
magistrates and Trial Court Services staff to review each revised chapter and
provide feedback regarding the accuracy, completeness, and clarity of the
content.[1]
The revised DCMM has eight chapters. The first chapter covers general matters such
as the appointment of magistrates, jurisdiction, authority of district court
magistrates, and administrative issues. The
remaining chapters address arrest and search warrants, pretrial release,
arraignment procedure, pleas and sentencing, civil infractions, small claims,
and marriage ceremonies. A glossary and an index were also created for the
manual.
In addition to the revised text, the DCMM was reformatted to
provide full functionality for easy online use. “Full functionality” means that
if a user clicks on a section of the table of contents, a glossary term, or a
legal authority such as a statute or court rule, he or she will be brought to
that section, definition, or text. The
reformatted DCMM also includes links to additional resources where they are
relevant, such as MJI’s Quick Reference Materials, SCAO memoranda, and court
forms.
The completed District Court Magistrate Manual will be
available in January 2017.
Court
Support Staff Certification Project
In May 2015, MJI, along with a
dedicated group of court administrators, probate registers, county clerks,
court professional staff, and SCAO analysts,[2] began
developing a certification program for court support staff. The purpose of support staff certification is
to assure that front-line clerks have the knowledge and specialized skills
necessary to perform their jobs with a high-degree of competence. Certification also ensures, to the extent
practicable, that staff has an overall understanding of the Michigan court system
and an appreciation of how their role and function contributes to a fair and
impartial judiciary.
Basic competency will be developed
through a core curriculum in which all court support staff will be expected to
participate.
The committee identified four core
modules:
- · General Purpose
- · Professionalism & Ethics
- · Customer Service
- · Records, Policy, & Procedures
The committee is
finalizing the content of the four modules. MJI will offer training on the modules in
2017.
[1] Amy Byrd, Trial Court Services,
Forms and Records Manager; Magistrate Cora Gregory, 67th District Court;
Magistrate Michael J. Milroy, 63rd District Court; Michele Muscat, Trial Court
Services, Management Analyst; Magistrate Mark Nelson, 14B District Court;
Magistrate Jessica Testolin-Reinke, 73B District Court; Matthew Walker, Trial
Court Services, Forms and Manuals Analyst; and Magistrate Sue Wilson, 96th
District Court.
[2] Vicki
Courterier, Court Administrator, Otsego County Judicial System; Ann Filkins, Trial Division Administrator, 9th Circuit Court; Kathy Griffin, Court Administrator, St.
Joseph County; Kevin McKay, Court Administrator, 63rd District Court; Lisa
Nolan, Chief Deputy Clerk, Eaton County Circuit Court; Cindy Rude, Probate
Register, Calhoun County Probate Court; Pam Sala Chief Assistant
– Operations, Oakland County Friend of Court; Deborah Shaw, Project Manager, Washtenaw
County Trial Court; Carol Vernon, Gratiot County Clerk; Dave
Walsh, Court Administrator, 47th District Court; Julia Norton, SCAO Management
Analyst; and Stacy Westra, SCAO Management Analyst.