Michigan courts saw an uptick in the number of cases filed at nearly all levels last year.
That’s among the data listed in a new state report summarizing the judicial branch’s work in 2023.
For the Michigan Supreme Court, last year was the first-time case filings rose since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases filed with the high court went from 1,171 in 2022 to 1,270 in 2023.
State Court Administrator Tom Boyd said it’s too soon to tell if that’s a new trend. But Boyd said more appeals could be positive.
“I was watching a baseball game the other day and the number of calls, I think it was up to seven or eight just really bad calls by the umpire behind the plate, and it’s frustrating. And I, as a fan, am frustrated. And I think the people ought to be frustrated if there’s no relief for clearly bad decisions,” Boyd said.
The report also highlights the launch and growth of online resources to look up local court data.
Boyd said the court made serious strides last year toward transparency. He noted much of the caseload information previously was only available in separate records, rather than consolidated in one location.
“Now that it’s interactive and you can look at your court, look at neighboring courts, look at every court in the county, you can access that more readily, and use that in a way that you think is the appropriate way,” Boyd said.
Michigan also continued its transition toward a statewide case management system for local courts in 2023.
According to a legislative report from March, around 80% of the state’s courts are now using the system. Though around 67% of circuit court cases are still handled outside of it.
Another area discussed in the 2023 State of the Judiciary Report is juvenile justice.
Some changes made, like the launch of a new team to complete research and help courts better serve children, were spurred on by new laws.
Boyd said one of the most meaningful differences will come later this year. That’s when the practice of assessing court fees on minors will largely end.
“Which gives the youth, the court, the family, the community, an opportunity to address the problem without making it more complicated in trying to fund the court on the backs on that family,” Boyd said.
Critics of that change say it could make it harder for local courts to function.
Meanwhile, last year also saw more than 120,000 kids have convictions and tickets set aside.
