63rd District Court gets high marks on public service survey for fourth year in a row

2016 marks the fourth year running that the 63rd District Court for Kent County has received high marks from the public regarding their experiences with the court. Using a survey that was administered in courts statewide, the 63rd District Court asked court users questions about whether the Court was accessible, timely, and fair, and if they were treated with courtesy and respect by judges and court staff.

"The focus of the 63rd District Court is to serve the public, so we very much appreciate their input,” said Chief Judge Sara J. Smolenski. “Both Judge Jeffrey O'Hara and I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our court staff. We want to continue to improve the efficiency of our court, while respecting the rights of all persons.”

Highlights from the survey include:

• 97% of court users said they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff.

• 91% of court users were able to get their business done in a reasonable amount of time.

• 87% of court users said the way the judge or magistrate handled their case was fair.

“We use the responses from the survey to assist us in our quest to constantly improve our service to the public,” said Court Administrator J. Kevin McKay. “Our goal is for every person who comes through our doors to feel like they were heard and treated fairly.” The 63rd District Court would like to thank Mr. Travis Nichol and his Northview High School government students for assisting in collecting the surveys at the court.

The survey was developed with input from judges and court administrators statewide and is tabulated by the State Court Administrative Office to insure accuracy. The survey enables courts to identify strengths, provide positive feedback to employees, and target areas for improvement. A range of court users, including patties to cases, attorneys, jurors, and others completed it.

The public satisfaction survey is part of a statewide initiative of the Michigan Supreme Court and the State Court Administrative Office to measure and report on court performance. From 2013 through 2016, nearly 100,000 surveys were completed in courts throughout Michigan.

Visit www.courts.mi.gov for more information.