Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack has announced the creation of a new Michigan Judicial Council to review and improve courts throughout the state. She tells WSJM News the council includes judges, community and court partners, and members of the public. They’ll start to meet in July to talk about court operations.
“Michigan’s state court system is pretty disunified,” McCormack said. “We have over 600 judges, 242 different courts that answer to 160 different funding units, which means it’s pretty decentralized and complicated and difficult to coordinate.”
McCormack says the purpose of the Michigan Judicial Council will be to make the courts easier for regular people to use.
“How those local courts operate and how they can support people in difficult times, which is usually when people end up in court, is a matter of concern to all of us.”
McCormack says courts face a variety of challenges, including how to address mental health and substance abuse, securing representation for those who can’t afford it, and navigating racial issues. The Michigan Judicial Council will hold continuous meetings to advise the Michigan Supreme Court on how such issues can be approached.
