AT THE CAPITOL
HB 4427 (Young) Civil rights: public records; Corrections: prisoners. Civil rights: public records; limited access to public records; provide for incarcerated individuals. Amends secs. 1, 2, 3 & 5 of 1976 PA 442 (MCL 15.231 et seq.).
POSITION: Support.
HB 5689 (O’Neal) Courts: juries. Courts: juries; local jury boards; eliminate, and create a centralized jury process. Amends secs. 857, 1301a, 1304a, 1307a, 1326, 1332, 1334, 1343, 1344, 1345, 1346, 1371 & 1372 of 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.857 et seq.); adds secs. 1306 & 1307 & repeals secs. 1301, 1301b, 1302, 1303, 1303a, 1304, 1305, 1308, 1309, 1310, 1311, 1312, 1313, 1314, 1315, 1316, 1317, 1318, 1319, 1320, 1321, 1322, 1323, 1324, 1327, 1328, 1330, 1331, 1338, 1339, 1341, 1342, 1353, 1375 & 1376 of 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.1301 et seq.) & repeals 1929 PA 288 (MCL 730.251 - 730.271) & repeals 1951 PA 179 (MCL 730.401 - 730.419).
POSITION: Support.
HB 5690 (Hope) Courts: juries. Courts: juries; reference in the uniform condemnation procedures act; amend to reflect repeal. Amends sec. 12 of 1980 PA 87 (MCL 213.62).
POSITION: Support.
HB 5691 (Tsernoglou) Courts: juries; Crimes: other. Courts: juries; prospective jurors with certain criminal records and protected statuses; amend eligibility for service and peremptory challenges. Amends sec. 1307a of 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.1307a) & adds secs. 1307b & 1356.
POSITION: Support HB 5691, Section 1356 (1)-(5), (7), and (8). (Position adopted by roll-call vote. Commissioners voting in support of the position: Andreson, Bennett, Bryant, Burrell, Christenson, Cripps-Serra, Detzler, Easterly, Evans, Gant, Hamameh, Howlett, Larsen, Lerner, Low, Mansoor, Mantese, Mason, McGill, Murray, Newman, Nyamfukudza, Ohanesian, Perkins, Potts, Reiser, Simmons, Walton, Washington. Commissioners voting in opposition of the position: Quick.)
No position adopted on Section 1356 (6).
HB 5692 (Wilson) Appropriations: supplemental; Courts: other. Appropriations: supplemental; funding for jury selection program; provide for. Creates appropriation act.
POSITION: Support.
HB 5693 (Young) Courts: juries. Courts: juries; reference in the probate code; amend to reflect repeal. Amends sec. 17, ch. XIIA of 1939 PA 288 (MCL 712A.17).
POSITION: Support.
HB 5724 (Breen) Courts: judges; Civil rights: public records. Courts: judges; personal information and physical safety protections for judges, their families, and household members; enhance. Creates new act.
POSITION: Support. (Position adopted by roll-call vote. Commissioners voting in support of the position: Anderson, Bennett, Bryant, Burrell, Clay, Detzler, Evans, Hamameh, Howlett, Larsen, Lerner, Low, Mantese, Mason, McGill, Murray, Newman, Nyamfukudza, Ohanesian, Perkins, Quick, Reiser, Simmons, Walton, Washington. Commissioners abstaining: Christenson, Gant.)
SB 723 (Santana) Criminal procedure: mental capacity; Criminal procedure: trial. Criminal procedure: mental capacity; evaluation of competency to waive Miranda rights; require. Amends 1974 PA 258 (MCL 330.1001 - 330.2106) by adding secs. 1080, 1081, 1082 & 1083.
POSITION: Support with the following amendments:
- statute should track the procedure in MCL 768.20a(3);
- should be some penalty when a defendant declines to participate in the examination consistent with MCL 768.20a(4); and
- presumption of competency should be removed.
SB 813 (Cherry) Criminal procedure: evidence; Children: protection; Criminal procedure: pretrial procedure; Criminal procedure: preliminary examination. Criminal procedure: evidence; consideration of videorecorded statements in certain proceedings; allow. Amends sec. 2163a of 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.2163a).
POSITION: Oppose. (Position adopted by roll-call vote. Commissioners voting in support of the position: Andreson, Bennett, Bryant, Burrell, Christenson, Clay, Cripps-Serra, Detzler, Easterly, Evans, Gant, Hamameh, Howlett, Larsen, Lerner, Low, Mansoor, Mantese, Mason, McGill, Murray, Newman, Nyamfukudza, Ohanesian, Perkins, Potts, Quick, Reiser, Simmons, Washington. Commissioners voting in opposition of the position: Walton.)
SB 871 (Chang) Courts: judges; Civil rights: public records. Courts: judges; personal information and physical safety protections for judges, their families, and household members; enhance. Creates new act.
POSITION: Support. (Position adopted by roll-call vote. Commissioners voting in support of the position: Anderson, Bennett, Bryant, Burrell, Clay, Detzler, Evans, Hamameh, Howlett, Larsen, Lerner, Low, Mantese, Mason, McGill, Murray, Newman, Nyamfukudza, Ohanesian, Perkins, Quick, Reiser, Simmons, Walton, Washington. Commissioners abstaining: Christenson, Gant.)
IN THE HALL OF JUSTICE
Proposed Amendment of Rule 7.306 of the Michigan Court Rules (ADM File No. 2024-05) – Original Proceedings (See Michigan Bar Journal May 2024, p 55).
STATUS: Comment period expires July 1; public hearing to be scheduled.
POSITION: Support.
Proposed Amendment of Rule 8.126 of the Michigan Court Rules (ADM File No. 2022-10) – Temporary Admission to the Bar (See Michigan Bar Journal May 2024, p 52).
STATUS: Comment period expires July 1; public hearing to be scheduled.
POSITION: Support Alternative B, but recommend that “Permission for a foreign attorney to appear and practice is within the discretion of the tribunal” be retained in MCR 8.126(B)(1), and urge the Court to consider the concerns raised by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.