The Michigan Supreme Court has released its 2015 annual report that highlights reforms to measure and report on court performance, increase access, improve efficiency and save money in the state’s judicial branch.
“Michigan’s judiciary has become a national leader in reforms to make the public the focus of our service,” said Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young, Jr. “This report tells the story of how we have improved service to our customers while at the same time trimmed the size of the judiciary and improved efficiency.”
Specifically, the report details accomplishments with respect to three strategic objectives that have been the focus of reform efforts — measuring performance to improve outcomes, implementing technology to increase access and efficiency along with reengineering courts to streamline operations and save money.
Key accomplishments from the report include:
• 2015 marked the third consecutive year of positive reviews from court customers in the annual trial court public satisfaction survey. The majority of 75,000 court users surveyed over the past three years said they were treated with dignity and respect, that service was timely and that their cases were handled fairly.
• Michigan leads the nation with 22 veterans treatment courts that help men and women who have served in the armed forces access needed services to address problems.
• Implementation of videoconferencing technology in more than 600 courtrooms statewide saved the Michigan Department of Corrections more than $3 million in 2015 by allowing for “virtual transports” of prisoners to routine court hearings.
• Rightsizing of the judiciary to match workloads has already trimmed 26 of 40 planned reductions in judgeships, saving taxpayers more than $10 million since 2011. A net reduction of 6 more seats was recommended in 2015.
“More courts than ever are sharing resources, breaking down silos and working together,” said Young. “We are measuring more and using data to drive more decisions.”
Every judge in the state “is subject to performance standards and every court publishes its performance results,” he said.
In a message from the chief justice at the beginning of the report, Young said the data in the report “is all the more impressive considering the byzantine structure of Michigan’s court system that in the past blocked efforts at reform.”
“The bottom line is that despite a 19th century system, we delivered 21st century justice,” he said.
In addition, the report noted that every court in Michigan has adopted performance measures and has an online dashboard with updated information about timeliness and public satisfaction.
As an example, the report said trial courts cleared 96 percent of cases within the high court’s guidelines.
Meanwhile, the report noted that district, probate and circuit courts in the past all had their own chief judges and related support staff.
“Now, multicourt chief judges are charged with cutting bureaucracy, eliminating duplication and improving services to the public.”
“Up from only 9 in 2010, by the end of 2015, the Michigan Supreme Court had appointed 50 multicourt chief judges,” it said.
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