|
| Author
|
Post |
 
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
|
Sat Apr 11, 2015 10:36 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Genesee County, Flint prepare to vote on plan to consolidate district courts
l
Blake Thorne | bthorne1@mlive.com By Blake Thorne | bthorne1@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on April 10, 2015 at 6:07 PM
FLINT, MI -- Plans to consolidate City of Flint and Genesee County's courts under one county system are in progress.
The Genesee County Board of Commissioners is expected on Monday, April 13, to vote on a memorandum of understanding, which outlines the terms of consolidating Flint's 68th District Court and the 67th District Court of Genesee County. The current 68th District Court would become the Fifth Division of the 67th District Court, under the plans.
The consolidation is expected to be cost-neutral for the county and save the city $8.4 million over 10 years. The plan would leave all city and county judicial election districts unchanged -- Flint voters would still elect judges in the city districts.
The plan would make Flint District Court a separate division of the Genesee County District Court, which has six judges.
There are five Flint District Court judges and a 2012 law says that number should be reduced to four through attrition. That legislation followed a state report showing the overall district court caseload in Flint decreased by more than 50 percent from 2003 to 2010.
The county Board of Commissioners approved the merger in December, contingent upon reaching a detailed memorandum of understanding with the city for operating a new "mega-court." That memorandum will be taken up by the board on April 10. If passed by the county board, the memorandum is sent to Flint City Council, which will have 10 days to address it. If Flint City Council rejects it, council members will have seven days to submit an alternate proposal that realizes the same cost savings.
"I am confident that the board will approve the proposed MOU in that it is in the best interest of all parties countywide," said Genesee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jamie Curtis.
Flint officials, including Mayor Dayne Walling and Emergency Manager Jerry Ambrose, said they hope the cost savings can help Flint's budget problems and allow more to be spent on public safety.
"The savings to the City of Flint will allow resources to be focused on police and fire protection services," Walling said.
Flint City Council President Josh Freeman said the merger is the right move for the city and the county.
"We're still going to elect our judges from the Flint boundaries," Freeman said. "I don't think we can go wrong on something like that."
The movement toward consolidation of the courts comes more than a year after a Michigan State Court Administrative Office report suggested merging the Flint and county district courts to achieve greater efficiency. A bill authorizing the Flint-county courts merger was approved by the Michigan Legislature in March 2014.
Current court employees with the city's court would be laid off but given preference on being hired within the new system, said Judge Richard Yuille, chief judge of all courts in Genesee County.
Yuille said a merged court system could lead to more cost savings by reducing the number of outlying courts in the future. But the resolution on the table now would keep those courts where they are.
Flint City Councilman Scott Kincaid has long advocated for the consolidation. He said he plans to support the memorandum, provided it addresses concerns he's had, such as keeping Flint judges elected by Flint voters.
"I think it makes sense for us to consolidate the courts. That's money that we can use for public safety or other services," Kincaid said.
County, city and court officials said the city-county district court arrangement now in Genesee County is the only one in Michigan.
Excerpts:
henryhard
Sure is typical that there will be no layoff or transfer of the unneeded judge, but that person will leave through attrition. No the position will be continued with no hardship until a judge feels ready to retire.
These sleaze balls make it so no judge dares lose his/her job or, my goodness, commute to another venue. The monied decision makers always take care of themselves.
.
Tex59
If the goal is to save money than try this out. Close all the 67th District Court outlying sites. The judges over these sites only show up part-time. And no, they are not at the Downtown Central Court but are off playing golf and doing errands. Just drop by the Grand Blanc Court and see if the judge is available. The clerks will fall all over themselves covering for him. Why? Because they don't want to work like their brothers and sisters @ the 68th District Court Clerk's Office.
Blue407
"Current employees within 68th would be laid off but given preference for rehiring." Translation, the majority of employees in 68th are minorities. They won't get rehired. Those jobs will be filled by county hires. Yuille has had a freeze on hiring in the 68th for a year. 68th employees are severely understaffed now. |
|
|
|
Sat Apr 11, 2015 10:51 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Estimates are that at least 47 city jobs are at risk, including 26 from the Fire Department 911. Allegations are surfacing that the county 911 discriminates in their hiring practices, especially relative to preferring lighter skinned minorities when minorities are considered. Problems in the county HR will not alleviate hiring anxieties.
A new administrative position is being created and the proposed new liason staffer name is already known. The belief is her salary will sacrifice 2 police officer positions. |
|
|
|
Sat Apr 11, 2015 11:38 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
|
|
Sat Apr 11, 2015 11:47 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Fenton, Davison officials oppose Genesee County District Court consolidation
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on February 06, 2015 at 5:50 AM, updated February 06, 2015 at 5:51 AM
FENTON, MI -- Officials in Fenton say the Genesee County Board of Commissioners decision to consolidate the county's seven district courts into a mega-court in Flint would create public safety problems and affect police response times in Fenton.
The Fenton City Council is set to discuss the resolution at its meeting on Monday, Feb. 9, according to City Manager Lynn Markland.
Fenton's proposed resolution to oppose the court merger says it will impact its police budget, increase police response times and burden business owners and citizens who would have to go to Flint for court instead of heading to Fenton's court on Silver Parkway.
County commissioners approved a resolution in December that says Flint District Court will become a separate division of the Genesee District Court, which has six judges.
"We haven't put a number on the dollars and cents -- it's obviously going to cost us more time and money in terms of police officers," Markland said. "It's going to be a major inconvenience."
The county's resolution is contingent upon reaching a detailed memorandum of understanding with Flint for operating the new mega-court
Flint's former emergency manager Darnell Earley said he planned to sign off on an implementation plan in early 2015.
Jerry Ambrose replaced Earley as Flint's emergency manager last month. The Flint Journal could not reach Ambrose for comment.
Fenton's police officers called to District Court in Flint would have to drive farther to respond to calls in Fenton than if those officers were at the district court location on Silver Parkway.
Markland said Fenton's opposition to the consolidation follows a similar Dec. 15 resolution in Davison.
Davison City Manager Mike Hart said Davison's representative on the county board voted against the measure.
Commissioner Pegge Adams, D-Richfield Twp., cast the lone dissenting vote against the merger resolution, saying at the time too much remained unknown.
"We don't know what consolidation means at this point," Hart said. "If it's all about just saving money -- it's going to be more expensive for us, so it's kind of a shifting of the burden."
Genesee Circuit Court Chief Judge Richard Yuille said there is no other county in Michigan with the same type of district court setup.
Genesee District Courts are located in Flint, Grand Blanc, Fenton, Mt. Morris, Burton, Davison and Flushing.
"This is the same complaint taken up by all of the outlying courts," Yuille said. "It is our belief going forward that technology will make the transition from seven courts to one court without all of the difficulties that are being talked about."
Yuille said the closures of the district courts won't be immediate.
"We don't have a building in downtown Flint to accommodate six courts," he said. "Everyone is sensitive to the residents and the police officers of Genesee County."
The movement toward consolidation of the courts comes more than a year after Michigan's State Court Administrative Office report suggested merging the Flint and county district courts to achieve greater efficiency.
Although the two court systems both operate at the McCree Courts and Human Services Building in downtown Flint, each maintain separate clerical and administrative employees.
There are five Flint District Court judges and a 2012 law says that number should be reduced to four through attrition. That legislation followed a state report showing the overall district court caseload in Flint decreased by more than 50 percent from 2003 to 2010.
A bill authorizing the Flint-county courts merger was approved by the Michigan Legislature in March 2014.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. |
|
|
|
Sat Apr 11, 2015 11:53 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
|
|
Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:14 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The 4 named administrative staff are white.
All 4 listed 7 person teams are all white.
here is 1 black female shown on the relief team and 2 black female trainees as of this year.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Thu Apr 16, 2015 7:51 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:21 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The propose new liason is to be Pamela Coleman. She allegedly turned down a county position and she will be the only liason for any county community except Flint.
Her salary is said to be the equivalent of the salaries of 2 Flint Police officers. The police officers are aid to be generally not in favor of portions of this agreement.
Flint must come up with an equivalent cost saving plan. Eliminating this position might be a good star.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Mon May 04, 2015 9:21 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:01 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
|
|
Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:15 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Flint council delays vote on plan to merge city, Genesee County District courts
Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com By Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com
on April 13, 2015 at 9:29 PM, updated April 13, 2015 at 9:30 PM
FLINT, MI -- The clock is ticking on a proposed deal to consolidate all district courts in Genesee County, but the Flint City Council is in no hurry to sign off on the merger.
The council voted unanimously Monday, April 13, to delay its court consolidation vote -- just hours after the same memorandum of understanding was approved by the county Board of Commissioners.
The effect of the council vote isn't clear because the city remains under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, who has the authority take actions with or without the support of local officials.
Council members could at least delay the merger by appealing Ambrose's action to a state emergency loan board.
Council will decide whether to do that at a special meeting April 20.
Members said they opposed the merger plan as written because juries in the consolidated courts would no longer be exclusively from Flint and because there are no guaranteed jobs or severance packages for Flint District Court employees.
Current Flint District Court employees would get preference in hiring in the countywide district court system, but no guarantees, according to Genesee Circuit Court Chief Judge Richard Yuille.
Flint Councilman Eric Mays lead the push against the merger plan.
"I would have been scared to death not to go before a jury of my peers," said Mays, who defended himself in a drunken-driving jury trial in Flint District Court last year.
Mays is appealing his sentence on an impaired driving conviction in that case but convinced a jury to acquit him on other charges related to the same 2013 incident in which he was found outside a car facing the wrong way on I-475 with missing and damaged tires at about 3 a.m.
Councilman Herbert Winfrey said the subject of Flint-only juries should be open to discussion given that the memorandum of understanding already allows for a Flint division within the countywide court system and provides for city residents to elect judges from the city.
"When you talk about inner-city folks and a jury of their peers ... it is not someone who lives in Goodrich," Winfrey said.
Ambrose signed a resolution Friday, April 10, to merge the courts, saying the resulting $8.4 million in savings over 10 years is a key to the city's future finances.
State law allows the council to reject that deal even though Flint is in a financial emergency, but members must propose an alternative to a state loan board within seven days of its vote.
The state's emergency manager law says any alternative proposal would have to yield substantially the same financial results as the proposed consolidation arrangement Ambrose has signed off on.
Ward Chapman, an attorney for the city, said state law may prevent the continuation of juries with only Flint residents after the courts are consolidated.
Chapman told council, however, that he had not researched the issue. |
|
|
|
Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:19 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
|
|
Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:23 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Timeline for Genesee County and Flint District Court consolidation
l
Roberto Acosta | racosta1@mlive.com By Roberto Acosta | racosta1@mlive.com
on April 13, 2015 at 3:52 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Genesee County an Flint officials who hammered out the proposed memorandum of understanding between Genesee County and Flint to consolidate the 67th and 68th District Courts have a timeline for the change.
The memorandum, passed Monday, April 13, by the county board of commissioners, cites a recommendation in June 2013 by the Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Office that the courts be consolidated and the city of Flint have a separate election division of the 67th District.
The Flint City Coiuncil was scheduled to consider the memorandum of understanding Monday evening, April 13.
The 68th District Court will be abolished, with the 67th District Court then consisting of the entire county. The 5th Division of the 67th District Court would include the five judges now elected in Flint. Here's a look at some of the dates provided in the memorandum on when changes would take place:
•July 1, 2015: 67th District Court should have an initial organizational structure and budget in place for the 5th Division. The structure will consist of a maximum of 26 positions, including five judges of the fifth election division and at least two probation officers.
•No later than Oct. 1, 2015: The 67th District Court or Genesee County on behalf of the court should post all positions for the 5th Division, except for judges and secretary/recorders. Those 68th District Court employees at the time of the posting will be given the first opportunity to apply and considered for the positions, if they provide their application to the 67th District Court or county no later than Oct. 15.
•5 p.m. Jan. 1, 2016: The city will terminate the employment of all employees assigned to the 68th District Court.
•Jan. 2, 2016: The 68th District Court will be abolished, with the 67th District Court consisting of the entire county, while the 5th Division of the 67th District Court would then be established, encompassing the city of Flint.
•Jan. 2, 2016: The lease between the county and city for the 68th District Court inside the Genesee County Courts and Human Services Center, 660 S. Saginaw St., will be terminated. The agreement had been set for the period from 2011-June 30, 2020.
•Jan. 2, 2016: The 67th District Court will be free to use all furnishings, equipment and supplies that had been in the possession of the 68th District Court on Jan. 1.
•Jan. 2, 2016-Dec. 31, 2025: The city will reimburse the county for any additional expenses over revenues associated with the move, along with the reduction of one judge position and one secretary/recorder position. |
|
|
|
Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:29 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Flint-county district court consolidation gets Genesee County board OK
Roberto Acosta | racosta1@mlive.com By Roberto Acosta | racosta1@mlive.com
on April 13, 2015 at 12:40 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The county Board of Commissioners has approved a memorandum of understanding to consolidate the 67th and 68th District courts.
Board Chairman Jamie Curtis said the consolidation is expected to save millions for the city, but there were some concerns shared about the future of the out-county court system.
"The city benefit is $8.4 million in reduced expenditures, which can go toward public safety to get probation officers, which will help with jail overcrowding," Curtis said. "(The) most important thing I can say is the statutory assurance that judges will remain being elected from the city of Flint."
A merger had been approved in December by the board of commissioners, with the understanding a memorandum would be reached with the city about a mega-court.
The memorandum states, "Beginning Jan. 2, 2016, in accordance with Act 60, the 68th District Court district will be abolished, the 67th District Court will consist of the entire county of Genesee and will be a district of the first class. Also beginning that date, the 5th Division of the 67th District Court (the 5th Division) will be established."
The fifth election division is described as "a geographical area, in this case the area of the city of Flint, from which a certain number of district judges will be elected."
There are five Flint district judges. A 2012 state law says that number must be reduced through attrition to four.
Flint City Councilman Eric Mays was at the county meeting Monday, April 13, to oppose the proposal.
"I don't see an urgency," he told the county board Monday. "I ask that it be postponed, because even though the court administrator gave us time and even though the emergency manager on our behalf might have signed a resolution without our input in a rush to get something before maybe he leaves, you have the power to postpone and still accomplish the same thing with some little touch-ups maybe."
An initial organizational structure and budget for the 5th Division is expected to in place by July 1, with a maximum of 26 positions, including five judges of the 5th Election Division, five secretary/recorders and at least two probation officers, according to the memorandum.
"The classification of the remaining positions will be determined by the 67th District Court," states the memorandum. "The Probation Officers will primarily be assigned to servicing cases which have arisen within the city of Flint."
Fenton Commissioner Scott Grossmeyer questioned whether the memornadum of understanding would have an immediate impact on the out-county courts, but Curtis said, "That is not what we're voting on today," and he could not say what future county boards would do.
Genesee Circuit Court Chief Judge Richard Yuille said there have been a lot of questions form the community about what the proposal means and police officers that have expressed concerns about taking the time to travel from the municipalities to courts in the city of Flint.
"I know the belief out there is tomorrow morning, we're going to say 'out county come on down. It's all over,'" he said. "It can't happen that way and we have eight months approximately to work with the city and the county, respective to the employees."
The memorandum states that no later than Oct. 1, 2015, the 67th District Court or the county of behalf of the court will post all positions for the 5th Division, with the exception of judges and secretary/recorders.
Yuille has said current employees would be laid off but given hiring preference under the new system. He added Monday that one of the items mandated by the city in the memorandum was protection for employees.
"In fact, they numbered them and they designated that two of them would be probation officers, which would assist the city in raising more money and also provide supervision over individuals who might otherwise end up in jail," he said.
Commissioner Brenda Clack said while she "was not totally happy with the method by which the employees would be brought over and their positions secured, but what I did realize was in this county we're losing and have lost many qualified individuals for reasons that go back around economics."
In providing his reasoning for the consolidation, Yuille noted "There's no other court in the state that has the same configuration as the 67th District Court," he said. "And I think beyond my career and perhaps maybe beyond my lifetime there will come a time when those courts are within the city of Flint.
"But we've taken great care and pain to say that we will not do that until there is technology in place that can reach out to these out-county cities and municipalities and provide a service from their home city to the city of Flint," he said. "You can do small claims cases that way, you can do traffic tickets that way, you can give warrants that way. There are so many things that can be done with technology."
The out-county courts are in Burton, Fenton, Mt. Morris, Davison, Flushing and Grand Blanc.
He said the consolidation would open the door for grants for technology. "If you were to ask me what's going to happen in the next five years. I would have to say very little. We have no place to put all the judges at this point," Yuille said.
Commissioner Pegge Adams, in casting the lone no vote with Commissioner Ted Henry absent and Commissioner John Northrup abstaining, said it was the uncertainty on the future of those outer courts that led communities in her district, including Davison, to pass resolutions against the proposal.
"I have to say my district is very much against this measure because even though this refers to a memo of understating between the county and the city, all of it marches toward, I believe and they believe, the closure of the out-county courts," she said.
But Clack said the court consolidation agreement shouldn't come as a surprise.
"This has been a move that has taken place and we've been dealing with for a long time," she said. "I knew it was inevitable that we would have to be in this position."
The memorandum will be sent to Flint City Council, which will have 10 days to address the issue. If the council rejects the proposal, it will have seven days to submit an alternative plan with the same cost savings. |
|
|
|
Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:35 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
John Streby
7 hrs · Widget Share Log App ·
.
MORE PROOF THAT THE FLINT CITY COUNCIL NEEDS ADULT SUPERVISION: Once again, Eric Mays is doing what he does best: Playing the race card, by pandering to the fears of black residents of Flint that should they be charged with a misdemeanor, the "peers" who make up the jury will be drawn from all of Genesee County, not just primarily-black Flint. But every black defendant in a felony case in Genesee County Circuit Court faces the same non-issue! Guess what: I personally have secured "Not Guilty" verdicts for at least three black defendants in Genesee County Circuit Court, verdicts which were returned by predominantly white juries! I can tell you from experience---juries take their oath very, very seriously! Having interviewed jurors after the verdicts, I've learned how they are willing to acquit defendants even when they believe he is guilty, because they weren't persuaded "beyond a reasonable doubt." I have more faith in juries than I do in judges, and assuredly more faith in juries than I do in Eric Mays, a man who foments discontent and racial animosity. He is nothing but a Al Sharpton wannabe who has nothing constructive to offer. I hope that the emergency manager does the job that our incompetent council refuses to do. |
|
|
|
Wed Apr 15, 2015 2:37 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
| Al Circuit Court cases have a Genesee County wide jury pool. More needs to be done to increase the available minorities for the jury pool. Remember when a judge sent employees to Halo Burger to recruit minority jurors? There simply is a shortage. |
|
|
|
Wed Apr 15, 2015 2:40 pm |
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
