The Michigan judiciary will receive $34.6 million in new funding under the just-signed state budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024) and a supplemental budget for FY 2023. The budget incorporates many of the Michigan Judicial Council (MJC) Strategic Agenda areas identified by a wide range of judicial system stakeholders, including: funding and technology infrastructure; improving public engagement and problem-solving; racial and social equity; building public trust; and workforce excellence.
“Thanks to the governor and the legislature, the judicial branch can continue to move forward to tackle key concerns identified by the Michigan Judicial Council. This budget is laser-focused on supporting a court system that is more accessible, transparent, engaged, data driven, and efficient,” said Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth T. Clement. “On a personal level, I am so grateful for the strong commitment to fund implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform. The result will be a state-of-the-art approach to helping youth get on track to achieving their full potential while keeping our communities safe.”
Budget highlights:
—Statewide Case Management System ($11,899,100)
“Statewide case management will make courts more efficient, save local courts money and staff time, and provide real-time data that policy makers can use to make decisions,” Clement noted.
Of particular importance to local courts, a portion of this funding will eliminate the user fee trial courts previously had to pay SCAO Judicial Information Services for providing those services. This is a significant cost savings for counties, cities, and townships who have paid upwards of $4-6 million annually in user fees. More broadly, this funding enables the continued transition of the judiciary from a complex network of various case management tools to a single, uniform, statewide case management system. Benefits of a uniform statewide case management system include: allowing for broader use of online court services and resource sharing (e.g., interpreters, secure digital court recording, transcription). This initial ongoing funding will allow for additional staffing for ongoing support and maintenance as the system increases in size.
—Juvenile Justice Services ($2,025,000)
“Getting juvenile justice right is vitally important, and that’s why I will personally focus on making this new division a model for the nation,” said Clement.
Implementing a recommendation of the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, this funding will support technical assistance for local courts and efficient coordination with stakeholders regarding implementation of other reform recommendations. An additional $500,000 was also approved in the current fiscal year to jumpstart creation of the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Services Division at State Court Administrative Office (consolidating expertise in helping young people by adding juvenile justice to the current Child Welfare Services Division).
—Data Transparency ($4,500,000)
“This project will build on Michigan’s existing criminal justice data collection efforts by making our court system the first in the nation to pioneer transparency and accountability for every trial court,” Clement remarked.
One-time funding for the Statewide Court Data Transparency Project will allow the SCAO to partner with Measures for Justice to develop a pioneering data transparency initiative to publish criminal justice system data. By providing a common set of data, local communities will be able to assess local problems and share solutions with grassroots groups across the state.
—Juvenile Probation Data ($10,000,000)
“This is another example of how our justice system is putting data to work to improve outcomes and keep our neighborhoods safe,” Clement added.
Allocation allows SCAO to accept and spend a federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Statistics to establish a juvenile probation data software application to interface and connect with the larger statewide judicial case management system.
—Justice for All ($475,000)
Funding will support development of training modules and materials, public education, and pilot projects of the Justice for All Commission focused on the goal of 100 percent access to Michigan’s civil justice system.
—Friend of the Court Bureau ($420,000)
Budget language authorizes spending of a federal Safe Access for Victims Economic Security (SAVES) grant to increase safe access to child support services for domestic violence victims and survivors.
—Judicial Education ($300,000)
This funding supports implementation of a new continuing judicial education program to be conducted by the Michigan Judicial Institute.
The budget also allows for additional funding for the Michigan Court of Claims, Judicial Tenure Commission, State Appellate Defender Office, and Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System, as well as ongoing support for the Board of Law Examiners.
The Michigan Judicial Council was created in 2021 to make recommendations to the Supreme Court on matters pertinent to the administration of justice, including developing a strategic agenda for the judicial branch and suggesting proposals that would enhance the work of all courts. Incorporating input from a wide range of stakeholders—not to mention the general public—the MJC strategic agenda and operational plan will help Michigan’s judicial branch become more innovative, effective, and inclusive, improving the court experience for the public going forward.
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