Snyder signs bills to remove five judgeships from Third and 36th
Gov. Rick Snyder last week signed five bills that reallocate judicial resources in the state based on criteria determined in a report last year by the state court administrator.
The report is issued every other year, and is based on a statewide caseload assessment to determine adequate judicial distribution. Only the Legislature can add or remove judgeships, however.
House Bills 5121-5125 address these issues by removing six judgeships – four from the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County, one from the 36th District Court in Detroit and one from the 70th District Court in Saginaw. Judges in these positions will serve out their current terms, but will not be replaced.
In return, the bills add six judgeships – two to the 16th Circuit Court in Macomb County, one to the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County, one to the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County, one to the 7th District Court in Van Buren County, and one to the 63rd District Court in Kent County, subject to a local vote.
“Keeping citizens safe and cities secure is essential to Michigan’s comeback,” Snyder said. “We have made great progress in strengthening public safety and reducing crime, and part of that comes from a smart justice system that makes sure resources are available where they’re most needed. The changes in these bills continue those efforts.”
The bills, sponsored by state Reps. John Walsh, Klint Kesto, Kevin Cotter, Tom Leonard, and Kurt Heise, respectively, are now Public Acts 56-60 of 2014.
Lt. Gov. Calley signs bills deleting word ‘retarded’ from laws
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has signed legislation removing the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from state laws.
The new laws reflect a recent recommendation from a mental health commission appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder. They strike outdated language from various statutes and replace them with terms such as “developmentally disabled” or “intellectually disabled.”
The mental health commission recommended the wording changes in December with the aim of reducing stigmas associated with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Special Olympics Michigan has said Michigan was among just a handful of states to not have already passed such legislation.
Calley says the changes encourage “everybody else to do a check on the types of words that we’re using” and to be “as inclusive and respectful” as possible.
Registration open for Wayne Law Golf Outing
Registration is open and sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2014 Wayne Law Golf Outing, set for Monday, June 2, at the Country Club of Detroit. For registration and sponsorship forms, visit law.wayne.edu/golf. For more details, contact Matt Cunningham at (313) 577-0749 or mc10@wayne.edu.
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