Supreme Court Helps Michigan Courts Celebrate 50th Anniversary of District Court System

By MSC Public Information Office

The Michigan Supreme Court, in collaboration with the Michigan District Judges Association, is helping courts across the state celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the district court system in Michigan.

A Simple E-Mail Was the Start of a Great Partnership That Benefits Local Children

By Elvin Gonzalez, Family Division Administrator, Berrien County Trial Court

It was the fall of 2016.  The e-mail from Judge Mabel J. Mayfield, our Presiding Family Division Judge, said, “Here is an interesting grant opportunity we may want to pursue.”  Her e-mail was the beginning of a great adventure for our family division and all those in Berrien County with an interest in the child protective system. 

Gaining 'Control' Over the Struggles of Parental Separation

By Carol Montavon Bealor, Director, Cass County Friend of the Court and

Court Administrator for Cass County Circuit, Family, and Probate Courts

Less than 50 percent of children in the United States have biological parents who live together and are married.[1]  The percentage of children living in a single parent household nearly tripled from 1960 to 2014.  What our country’s families look like today is much different than what they looked like when I was a child in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 

Court, Tribe, and State Agency: How These Entities Banded Together to Benefit Cheboygan Children

By MSC Public Information Office

On many occasions, Cheboygan County Probate and Family Court Judge Robert J. Butts has had personal experience with the cooperative spirit that exits between his county, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and Michigan’s tribal community.

From left to right: Cheboygan County
Probate Register Patricia Hansen,
Judge Robert John Butts,
and DHHS Children’s Services
Specialist Katelyn Engler

Sisters Share Bonds of Family and Profession in the Courts

By Diane Reinke, Court Administrator, 78th District Court (Newaygo County)

I began my court career at the 70th District Court in Saginaw County as a court recorder/judicial secretary. I worked for the Hon. Harold Martin after graduating from Saginaw Business Institute in 1976.  Upon getting married in 1980, I moved to Newaygo County. 

Diane Reinke -- the
Elder Sister

At Opposite Sides of the 'Mitten,' Sibling Rivalry Connects Two Court Administrators

By Elaine Moore, Court Administrator, 73B District Court (Huron County)

I am the YOUNGER sibling, and I am the court administrator at the 73B District Court in Bad Axe.  I began my career much later than my older sister, Diane Reinke, because I am much younger than her.  I began my employment with Huron County at the Michigan State University Extension Office in 1984 after graduating from Ferris State University.  I worked there for three years and then transferred to the Huron County Prosecutor’s Office in 1987 and stayed there until September 1995. 

Elaine Moore -- the
YOUNGER sibling

'Live Help' Offers Online Legal Assistance in Real Time -- and en Español

By Ramzi Badwi, Program and Outreach Coordinator, Michigan Legal Help

Visiting a website for the first time can be a frustrating experience.  It can take time for a user to find what they need, especially for those who are not very comfortable using a computer.  One of the ways we remedy this on michiganlegalhelp.org is by providing “Live Help,” an online chat feature similar to a customer service help desk.  Using this service, agents can answer a visitor’s questions in real time and provide links to our own content, quotes from our materials, or links to other trusted sources.

National Center for State Courts Certified Court Manager Program Comes to Michigan

By Gary W. Dodge, 44th District Court, President of Michigan Court Administration Association

The Michigan Court Administration Association (MCAA) has arranged to bring a National Center for State Courts (NCSC) accreditation program to court professionals in Michigan.  MCAA, in coordination with the Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI), is partnering with the NCSC’s Institute for Court Management (ICM) to conduct the Certified Court Manager Program (CCM) at the Hall of Justice in Lansing.  

Smaller Technology Projects Make a Big Impact

By Kate Ambrose, 10th District Court Administrator/Attorney Magistrate

The newest smart phone is released and the first question users ask is, “What more can it do?”  A user’s relationship with technology has an evolution of emotion from scared and overwhelmed to acceptance, then comfortability, finally ending in the question, “What more can it do?”  Once we become accustomed to it, new technology can become addictive. 

SRL Divorce and On-Site Mediation: Easier Than You Think!

By Hon. Matthew J. Stewart, 35th Circuit Court, Shiawassee County

Cases with self-represented litigants (SRLs) present unique challenges for both courts and litigants. Recently, our court has expedited SRL divorces by offering on-site mediation.  I'm going to describe the system as it works in my office.  My family court bench mate, Hon. Thomas Dignan, also uses this system.  Since he's the expert on operations in his office, I'll stay in my own lane.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Court Embraces 'Spirit of Collaboration' Inside and Outside of the Tribal Community

By MSC Public Information Office

As the issue of substance abuse—opioid, in particular—has grown across the country and state to epidemic proportions, it also has grown within sovereign nations, and Michigan’s Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is no exception. 

Reading to Children for a Day: A Reminder of One Probate Judge's Calling to Help Local Families

By Judge John Tomlinson, St. Clair County Probate Court

You might have seen the picture already.  A middle-aged (*ahem*) man, perched on a chair made for a five-year-old.  In front of him, an audience of children, focused on the book in his hand, rapt with attention to the story he’s reading.  This article will give you—with all due respect to Paul Harvey—the rest of the story.