Circuit Court reports drop in filings, specialty courts expand; state time study flags need for judges

Van Buren County circuit and district court leaders updated the Board of Commissioners on case loads, specialty courts and staffing needs at the July 8 committee meeting.

Court leaders told commissioners the county handled 38 jury trials in 2024, down from 52 in 2023, and that felony trials — which typically take longer than misdemeanors — remain the largest time commitment. “In 02/2024, we had 478 new case filings, criminal, felony filings compared to that bad year we saw earlier,” the judge said, reporting that criminal filings are down from earlier peaks.

The judge praised recent board-funded services and staff: “You gave us that funding for counseling sessions if needed, and so we appreciate that,” she said, referring to juror and staff counseling approved by the board to address secondary trauma. She also credited a county-funded research attorney for helping move post-trial opinions and motions along more quickly.

Specialty courts, which coordinate prosecutors, defenders, community mental health and the sheriff’s office to supervise participants, have expanded under local leadership and new grants. “Often, it’s lower recidivism rate, better results for less money,” the judge said describing the national evidence supporting specialty courts and thanking staff and a newly hired grants coordinator, Courtney Mihalka.

Juvenile court officers reported one recent milestone: roughly 7,000 juvenile records were set aside and removed locally under a recent state law, a measure the court said will help young adults move forward without those records on their background.

On a statewide resource review, the judge told commissioners the Judicial Resources Office’s preliminary weighted time study — based on a multiweek time study of judges and court staff — recommended Van Buren County might need about 1.7 additional judges to address circuit and probate workloads. She emphasized the figure is preliminary and will be refined during a “deep dive” into local practices, including the county’s use of referees and other alternatives.

“The preliminary report right now…shows Van Buren, in need of point of 1.7 additional judges to handle circuit and probate,” she said, adding that the recommendation would be adjusted after local information is submitted to the state. Commissioners asked whether the study represented a requirement or a recommendation; the judge said the number is preliminary and that any final change would need legislative approvals and local decisions.

Court leaders also described ongoing operational work: outreach and prevention programs, a courthouse fall festival, backlog-clearing after COVID-era delays, and a multi-county digitization and records-cleanup effort with Michigan State Police to update mental-health orders.

Commissioners did not take formal action on the court report but asked for continued updates as the time-study process moves into the secondary-analysis stage and as the court seeks state or legislative steps to change judicial staffing.

Looking ahead, court leaders flagged two issues that may return to the board: (1) how a statewide alternative-funding proposal that would make court employees state employees might change local budgets and (2) capital and space needs tied to specialty-court staff currently working in basement space that the court hopes to renovate.