Much progress had been made at Detroit’s 36th District Court, according to its administrator, and more reforms are planned to make the court even better in the future.
The comments were issued Monday by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Michael J. Talbot, who was named the court’s special judicial administrator by the Michigan Supreme Court earlier this year.The appointment was prompted by a report from the National Center for State Courts that cited millions of dollars in repeated budget overruns at 36th District Court court along with poor public service, inadequate use of technology and docket mismanagement that caused delays.
Talbot credited Chief Judge Nancy M. Blount, Chief Judge Pro Tem Prentis Edwards Jr. and others at the court for helping to make the turnaround possible. “We have a great team and we’re going to accomplish even more in 2014,” he said.
Talbot said the court currently is operating within budget.
At the time the NCSC report was issued last spring, Talbot said, the court was operating $5 million above its appropriated budget and had done so for years.
Since he has taken over as administrator, Talbot said the court has cut its projected expenditures by $5.5 million from 2012-13, allowing it to operate below its appropriated 2013-14 budget of $31.7 million. The NCSC report expressed concern when it released its report that the chief judge and court administrator at the time were not capable of making needed reforms.
In August, the Supreme Court appointed Blount, a 30-year veteran of 36th District Court, as the new chief judge.
Other leadership changes included the hiring of Kelli D. Moore, formerly the director of the Wayne Circuit Court’s criminal division, as the court’s new administrator.
In the area of public service, Talbot said work has been accomplished to eliminate long lines and “a confused, unwelcoming lobby area” that stymied those who went to the court to pay tickets or confused those looking for a specific courtroom.
Talbot said dedicating courtroom to specific types of cases — plus electronic docket callboards and notices that include the assigned courtroom — have drastically reduced lines and crowding. On the NCSC’s recommendation, he said, the court now conducts arraignments twice a day, plus after-hours as needed, and holds weekend/holiday arraignments at 34th District Court in Romulus.
“These measures have significantly reduced the number of prisoners released by the Michigan Department of Corrections because they were not arraigned within 72 hours of their arrest,” Talbot noted.
He said another reform ensured more timely preliminary exams in criminal cases, which formerly were frequently and repeatedly adjourned for weeks or months – in some cases, up to two years.
As a result, Talbot said, a number of defendants were held for the maximum time in jail, then released back into the community without either being bound over for trial or having their charges dismissed.
Under the new procedures, Talbot said all felony preliminary examinations, except for those in domestic violence cases, are conducted at Frank Murphy Hall of Justice by designated 36th District judges.
This step, plus a “crash docket” for cases with the longest delays, eliminated the preliminary exam backlog, he said.
“Not only is this development good for public safety, it also saves taxpayer dollars,” he said.
Regarding the civil infraction docket, he said, the court previously required the ticketing require the ticketing officer to appear in court for traffic tickets and other civil infractions. The officer’s failure to appear meant the ticket would be dismissed.
Now, according to Talbot, there is a prehearing docket for civil infractions under which tickets can be resolved by meeting with a representative of the Detroit Police Department.
Talbot said about 80 percent of civil infractions are resolved under this new procedure.
“Offenders get a prompt resolution, police officers spend more time on the road instead of in court and the court holds more offenders accountable,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Talbot said a new “As-Needed Jury Program” has been implemented.
He said about 4,500 Detroit citizens have been summoned by the court annually for jury duty in the past but the court only holds 10 to 12 jury trials a year.
Under the new set-up, he said, jurors will be called only when needed..
This change, Talbot said, will save the court hundreds of thousand of dollars a year.
Talbot also said the court has improved its collection efforts through the “Out County Collections Program,” which allows those with outstanding monies owed to the court to pay their fines, costs and fees at any Wayne County district court .
In exchange for providing the service, the partnering district court receives 50 percent of the remaining fines and costs after mandatory fees are subtracted.
Looking toward the future, Talbot said a top priority was clarifying the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
“We also need to establish long-term labor agreements, secure financing for short-term jail stays and continue to strengthen our management team,” he said.
Other future planned reforms include:
• Payment kiosks for tickets.
By next month, Talbot said, the court will have installed three payment kiosks on the court’s first floor to accept payment for civil infractions and give the public an alternative to waiting in line to pay.
• Operations audit.
The review will cover every court department and function “to see where we need to make changes and improve efficiency,”
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