HOUSE BILL No. 5124

 

October 26, 2011, Introduced by Reps. Cotter and Heise and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled

 

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"

 

by amending sections 401, 406, 407, 408, 410, 601, 841, and 8304

 

(MCL 600.401, 600.406, 600.407, 600.408, 600.410, 600.601, 600.841,

 

and 600.8304), sections 401, 406, 407, 408, and 8304 as added by

 

2002 PA 678 and sections 410, 601, and 841 as amended by 2005 PA

 

326; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 401. (1) Within a county or judicial circuit, subject to

 

approval by the state supreme court and subject to the limitations

 

contained in sections 410, 601, 841, and 8304, a plan of concurrent

 

jurisdiction may shall be adopted by a majority vote of each of the

 

following groups of all of the judges for of the participating

 


trial courts in the plan in that county or judicial circuit. :

 

     (a) The circuit judges, the probate judges, and the district

 

judges.

 

     (b) The circuit judges and the probate judges.

 

     (c) The circuit judges and the district judges.

 

     (d) The probate judges and the district judges.

 

     (2) A The plan of concurrent jurisdiction may shall provide

 

for 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) The circuit court and 1 or more circuit judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the probate court.

 

     (b) The circuit court and 1 or more circuit judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the district court.

 

     (c) The probate court and 1 or more probate judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the circuit court.

 

     (d) The probate court and 1 or more probate judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the district court.

 

     (e) The district court and 1 or more district judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the circuit court.

 

     (f) The district court and 1 or more district judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the probate court.

 

     (g) If there are multiple district court districts within the

 

judicial circuit, 1 or more district judges may exercise the power

 

and jurisdiction of judge of another district court district within

 

the judicial circuit.

 

     (3) A The plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall provide for

 

the transfer or assignment of cases between the trial courts

 

affected by the plan and to individual judges of those courts as

 


necessary to implement the plan and to fairly distribute the

 

workload among those judges.

 

     (4) If the plan of concurrent jurisdiction required under this

 

section is not adopted, the supreme court shall develop and

 

implement the plan for that county or judicial circuit.

 

     (5) (4) A plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall become becomes

 

effective on the first day of the month at least 90 days after upon

 

the approval of the plan by the supreme court.

 

     (6) (5) This section does not apply to the counties of

 

Genesee, Ingham, Kent, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne, which

 

have district court districts of the third class.

 

     Sec. 406. (1) Within the counties of Genesee, Ingham, Kent,

 

Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne, the circuit judges and the

 

probate judges, subject to approval by the state supreme court and

 

subject to the limitations contained in sections 410, 601, 841, and

 

8304, by a majority vote of each group of all of the circuit and

 

probate judges, may shall adopt 1 or more plans of concurrent

 

jurisdiction under this section or section 407 for the circuit

 

court and probate court in that county.

 

     (2) A The plan of concurrent jurisdiction under this section

 

may shall provide for 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) The circuit court and 1 or more circuit judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the probate court.

 

     (b) The probate court and 1 or more probate judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the circuit court.

 

     (3) A The plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall provide for

 

the transfer or assignment of cases between the trial courts

 


affected by the plan and to individual judges of those courts as

 

necessary to implement the plan and to fairly distribute the

 

workload among those judges.

 

     (4) If the plan of concurrent jurisdiction required under this

 

section or section 407 is not adopted, the supreme court shall

 

develop and implement the plan for that county.

 

     (5) (4) A The plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall become

 

becomes effective on the first day of the month at least 90 days

 

after upon the approval of the plan by the supreme court.

 

     Sec. 407. (1) Within the counties of Genesee, Ingham, Kent,

 

Macomb, Oakland, and Washtenaw, the circuit judges, the probate

 

judges, and the district judges in the county-funded district court

 

district, subject to approval by the state supreme court and

 

subject to the limitations contained in sections 410, 601, 841, and

 

8304, by a majority vote of each group of all of the judges of the

 

trial courts in the plan, may shall adopt 1 or more plans of

 

concurrent jurisdiction under this section or section 406 for the

 

participating trial courts in the plan in that county.

 

     (2) A The plan of concurrent jurisdiction under this section

 

may shall provide for 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) The circuit court and 1 or more circuit judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the probate court.

 

     (b) The circuit court and 1 or more circuit judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the district court within

 

the county-funded district court district.

 

     (c) The probate court and 1 or more probate judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the circuit court.

 


     (d) The probate court and 1 or more probate judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the district court within

 

the county-funded district court district.

 

     (e) The district court and 1 or more district judges in the

 

county-funded district court district within the county may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the circuit court.

 

     (f) The district court and 1 or more district judges in the

 

county-funded district court district within the county may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the probate court.

 

     (g) If there are multiple county-funded district court

 

districts within the county, 1 or more district judges may exercise

 

the power and jurisdiction of judge of another county-funded

 

district court district within the county.

 

     (3) A plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall provide for the

 

transfer or assignment of cases between the trial courts affected

 

by the plan and to individual judges of those courts as necessary

 

to implement the plan and to fairly distribute the workload among

 

those judges.

 

     (4) If the plan of concurrent jurisdiction required under this

 

section or section 406 is not adopted, the supreme court shall

 

develop and implement the plan for that county.

 

     (5) (4) A plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall become becomes

 

effective on the first day of the month at least 90 days after upon

 

the approval of the plan by the supreme court.

 

     Sec. 408. (1) Within the counties of Genesee, Ingham, Kent,

 

Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne, the circuit judges, the

 

probate judges, and the district judges in 1 or more district court

 


districts of the third class within the county, subject to approval

 

by the state supreme court and subject to the limitations contained

 

in sections 410, 601, 841, and 8304, by a majority vote of each

 

group of all of the judges of the trial courts in the plan, may

 

adopt 1 or more plans of concurrent jurisdiction for the

 

participating trial courts in the plan in that county.

 

     (2) A plan of concurrent jurisdiction under this section may

 

provide for 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) The circuit court and 1 or more circuit judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the probate court.

 

     (b) The circuit court and 1 or more circuit judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the district court within

 

the participating district court districts in the plan within the

 

county.

 

     (c) The probate court and 1 or more probate judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the circuit court.

 

     (d) The probate court and 1 or more probate judges may

 

exercise the power and jurisdiction of the district court within

 

the participating district court districts in the plan within the

 

county.

 

     (e) The district court and 1 or more district judges in the

 

participating district court districts in the plan within the

 

county may exercise the power and jurisdiction of the circuit

 

court.

 

     (f) The district court and 1 or more district judges in the

 

participating district court districts in the plan within the

 

county may exercise the power and jurisdiction of the probate

 


court.

 

     (g) If there are multiple district court districts within the

 

county, 1 or more district judges may exercise the power and

 

jurisdiction of the judge of another district court district within

 

the county.

 

     (3) A plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall provide for the

 

transfer or assignment of cases between the trial courts affected

 

by the plan and to individual judges of those courts as necessary

 

to implement the plan and to fairly distribute the workload among

 

those judges.

 

     (4) A plan of concurrent jurisdiction involving district court

 

districts of the third class may include an agreement as to the

 

allocation of court revenue, other than revenue payable by statute

 

to libraries or state funds, and court expenses. This agreement is

 

subject to approval by the county board of commissioners and by

 

each local funding unit of each participating district of the third

 

class.

 

     (5) A plan of concurrent jurisdiction shall become becomes

 

effective on the first day of the month at least 90 days after upon

 

the approval of the plan by the supreme court.

 

     Sec. 410. A plan of concurrent jurisdiction adopted under this

 

chapter shall not include a delegation of any either of the

 

following:

 

     (a) A power of appointment to a public office delegated by

 

constitution or statute to the circuit court or a circuit judge.

 

     (b) A power of appointment to a public office delegated by

 

constitution or statute to the probate court or a probate judge.

 


     (c) Except as provided in section 411, a power of appointment

 

to a public office delegated by constitution or statute to the

 

district court or a district judge.

 

     Sec. 601. (1) The circuit court has the power and jurisdiction

 

that is any of the following:

 

     (a) Possessed by courts of record at the common law, as

 

altered by the state constitution of 1963, the laws of this state,

 

and the rules of the supreme court.

 

     (b) Possessed by courts and judges in chancery in England on

 

March 1, 1847, as altered by the state constitution of 1963, the

 

laws of this state, and the rules of the supreme court.

 

     (c) Prescribed by the rules of the supreme court.

 

     (2) The circuit court has exclusive jurisdiction over

 

condemnation cases commenced under the drain code of 1956, 1956 PA

 

40, MCL 280.1 to 280.630.

 

     (3) In a judicial circuit in which the circuit court is

 

affected by a plan of concurrent jurisdiction adopted under chapter

 

4, the circuit court has concurrent jurisdiction with the probate

 

court or the district court, or both, as provided in the plan of

 

concurrent jurisdiction. , except as to the following matters:

 

     (a) The probate court has exclusive jurisdiction over trust

 

and estate matters.

 

     (b) Except as provided in section 411, the district court has

 

exclusive jurisdiction over small claims and civil infraction

 

actions.

 

     (4) The family division of circuit court has jurisdiction as

 

provided in chapter 10.

 


     Sec. 841. (1) The probate court has jurisdiction and power as

 

follows:

 

     (a) As conferred upon it under the estates and protected

 

individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.1101 to 700.8102.700.8206.

 

     (b) As conferred upon it under the mental health code, 1974 PA

 

258, MCL 330.1001 to 330.2106.

 

     (c) As conferred upon it under this act.

 

     (d) As conferred upon it under another law or compact.

 

     (2) In a judicial circuit in which the probate court is

 

affected by a plan of concurrent jurisdiction adopted under chapter

 

4, the probate court has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit

 

court or the district court, or both, as provided in the plan of

 

concurrent jurisdiction, except as to the following matters:

 

     (a) The circuit court has exclusive jurisdiction over appeals

 

from the district court and from administrative agencies as

 

authorized by law.

 

     (b) The circuit court has exclusive jurisdiction and power to

 

issue, hear, and determine prerogative and remedial writs

 

consistent with section 13 of article VI of the state constitution

 

of 1963.

 

     (c) The circuit court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and

 

decide matters within the jurisdiction of the court of claims under

 

chapter 64.

 

     (d) Except as provided in section 411, the district court has

 

exclusive jurisdiction over small claims and civil infraction

 

actions.

 

     Sec. 8304. In a district court district in which the district

 


court is affected by a plan of concurrent jurisdiction adopted

 

under chapter 4, the district court has concurrent jurisdiction

 

with the circuit court or the probate court, or both, as provided

 

in the plan of concurrent jurisdiction, except as to the following

 

matters:

 

     (a) The circuit court shall have has exclusive jurisdiction

 

over appeals from the district court and from administrative

 

agencies as authorized by statute.

 

     (b) The circuit court shall have has exclusive jurisdiction

 

and power to issue, hear, and determine prerogative and remedial

 

writs consistent with section 13 of article VI of the state

 

constitution of 1963.

 

     (c) The circuit court shall have has exclusive jurisdiction to

 

hear and decide matters within the jurisdiction of the court of

 

claims under chapter 64.

 

     (d) The probate court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over

 

trusts and estates.

 

     Enacting section 1. Section 411 of the revised judicature act

 

of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.411, is repealed.