A Missouri business owner opted to handle his own appeal following a November 2022 unpaid wages judgment ($311,313.70 with interest accruing 9% per year). For the research and writing part, the self-represented business owner hired an online consultant who claimed to be a California-licensed attorney. (See page 2 of the Reply brief for the explanation.)…
Category: Court costs
Contributing to improving A2J and preventing downstream problems—one of the best parts of court administration work
Starting January 1, 2024, indigent individuals will no longer have to pay the cost for any ordered newspaper publication in Michigan name change matters. Thanks to today’s amendment of MCR 3.613 by the Michigan Supreme Court, the local court will have to pay any newspaper publication cost if the court has otherwise waived fees under…
What’s next in Michigan’s criminal court costs journey when the Michigan Supreme Court asks that a specific question be briefed and practically no one does? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Immediate background The controversial MCL 769.1k that permits a sentencing judge to assess “court costs” has been one of the sticky wickets in Michigan’s ongoing conversation about how Michigan trial courts should be funded. (See for example People v Cunningham, 496 Mich 145 (2014) and the 2019 Trial Court Funding Commission Final Report.) 🚨Whether MCL…