DISTRICT COURT CHANGES
House Bill 4788
Sponsor: Rep. Bruce Patterson
Committee: Civil Law and the Judiciary
Complete to 5-22-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4788 AS INTRODUCED 5-17-01
The bill would amend the Revised Judicature Act to allow the addition of two new district judges, reduce by four the existing number of district judges, and merge four existing third class districts into two districts. All of the proposed changes would be effective beginning on January 1, 2003 (except for the reorganization of the 18th District, which would be effective on January 1, 2002.) The abolition of two districts and the reorganization of the two districts that would absorb the abolished districts would have to be approved by the governing bodies of the municipalities involved by September 1, 2001.
More specifically, the bill would do the following:
· Abolish the 29th District Court (the city of Wayne), a third class district with one judge, and add the city and its one district judge to the 18th District Court (the city of Westland), a third class district with two judges (for the 2006 election only, the term of the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes would be eight years and the term of the candidate receiving the next greatest number of votes would be six years);
· Reduce the number of judges from two to one in the 30th District (Highland Park) and the 31st District (Hamtramck);
· Allow the addition of one judge in the 35th District (the cities of Northville and Plymouth and the townships of Northville, Plymouth, and Canton in Wayne County), a third class district with two judges (if a new judgeship were added, the judge elected to that office in 2002 would serve a two-year term for that election only);
· Abolish the 45thB District (the cities of Huntington Woods, Oak Park, and Pleasant Ridge and the township of Royal Oak in Oakland County), a third class district with two judges, and reorganize the 45thA District (the city of Berkley) to add the cities and township currently in the 45thB District and one of its two judges;
· Reduce the number of judges in the 50th District (city of Pontiac), a third class district, from four to three; and
· Allow one additional judge for the first division of the 63rd District (Kent County except for the cities of Grand Rapids, Walker, Grandville, Wyoming, and Kentwood), which consists of the cities of Cedar Springs and Rockford and the townships of Tyrone, Solon, Nelson, Spencer,
Sparta, Algoma, Courtland, Oakfield, Alpine, Plainfield, Cannon, and Gratton, and which currently has one judge. If a new judgeship were added, the judge elected to that office in 2002 would serve a four-year term for that election only.
MCL 600.8121, 600.8123, and 600.8130
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.