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Membership Meeting Notes

Family Law Committee Meeting with Amanda Kole

January 27, 2021 Membership Meeting with Macomb Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido

Dec 10, 2020 Family Law Meeting - New Child Support Formula

Indigent Defense Update

Dear MCBA Members,

This communication is to clear up any confusion regarding our previous communication regarding the status of indigent defense with Macomb County funded courts, (16th Circuit, 41-1 and 41-2).

The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission has approved Standard 5, Independence of the Judiciary.  The MIDC Act requires the agency to establish minimum standards, rules, and procedures to adhere to the following: “The delivery of indigent criminal defense services shall be independent of the judiciary but ensure that the judges of this state are permitted and encouraged to contribute information and advice concerning that delivery of indigent criminal defense services.” MCL 780.991 (1)(a).

As part of compliance with Standard 5, Macomb County created the Macomb County Public Defender Office.  The Public Defender office has taken over the administration of indigent defense for county funded courts.  As such, the court's Local Administrative Order pertaining to indigent defense is no longer in effect.  This includes required membership in the local bar to receive county funded appointments.

The Public Defender Office has put forth the following Eligibility and General Rules for Roster Attorneys.

ELIGIBILITY AND GENERAL RULES FOR ROSTER ATTORNEYS
A. Roster Attorneys must be members in good standing of the State Bar of Michigan.
All Roster Attorneys have a continuing duty to notify the Macomb County Office of Public Defender of any change in status or discipline actions which affect their license to practice.

B. Roster Attorneys are encouraged to be members of the Macomb County Bar Association, (MCBA) and Criminal Defense Association of Michigan (CDAM) and Criminal Defense Resource Center, (CDRC).
Members of MCBA receive notices concerning required CLE seminars, invitations to Criminal Defense Committee Meetings, general membership meetings, and receive periodic notifications about criminal indigent practice and requirements from the Macomb County Office of Public Defender. (By way of example, the current procedure/policies for requesting Deviations from the Prosecutor’s Office in Macomb County was communicated to MCBA members, and those non-members may not be aware of the newest procedures/policies). The benefits of being a MCBA member include keeping up to date on new issues in criminal practice, notifications of contract opportunities, opportunities at Bench Bar Conferences, staying up do date about CLE credits, notices about e-filing, social opportunities, and other benefits. You may visit www.macombbar.org for additional information.

Members of CDAM receive notifications about CLE seminars and training, information about current state of the law and upcoming law and court rule changes, provide networking opportunities, and provide CLE presenter opportunities to criminal defense practitioners. You m ay visit www.cdam.wildapricot.org for additional information.

CDRC offers resources, services, and trainings to criminal defense practitioners throughout the state, including expert resources, expert transcripts, model pleadings, and model briefs. Links to SADO’s print resources are found there and they may be purchased by subscribers and non-subscribers. For FY 2020-21, there is a negotiated membership for Roster Attorneys on appointment lists in Macomb County. This may continue if it is sufficiently utilized by Roster Attorneys, and is subject to cancellation at any time. Visit www.SADO.org for additional information.

October 15 - Family Law Committee Meeting

October 1, 2020 • Membership Meeting with Special Guest Nicole Smithson

Checklist for Clients Participating in Hearings Remotely

Compliance with MIDC Standard 4 during the COVID 19 pandemic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=797oKHHekEs

Compliance with MIDC Standard 4 during the COVID 19 pandemic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvAVNYmyHsk&t=650s

Remote Prep and Practice Tips For Courtroom Advocacy in 2020 with Marla McCowan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNQIQ107-AA&t=53s

 

LMOS MACC/PD Directory

D40 St. Clair Shores – Ted Metry
Mail or deliver to MACC’s mailbox at the court a letter of interest with a resume or other written documentation as to your educational background, including CLE training, and anything else you would like considered. The MACC’s mailing address is 300 Maple Park Boulevard Suite 304, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081-2217.

D41B Clinton Two – Chase Robl
Email your contact information and a statement that you are MIDC compliant to Chase Robl at chaseatty@femminineo.com.

D43-1 Hazel Park – Eric Wilson
Please send an email to Eric Wilson at hazelparkmidc@gmail.com.

D43-2 Ferndale – Karie Miller
See Attachment A.

D 43-3 Madison Heights – Eric Wilson
Please send an email to Eric Wilson at mh43midc@gmail.com.

D 44 Royal Oak – John Angott
See Attachment B.

D 45 Oak Park – John Angott, oakpark45midc@gmail.com and Karie Miller, oakparkmiller@gmail.com
See Attachment C.

D 46 Southfield – Tanya Grillo
Please email the following information to Tanya Grillo at southfieldmidc@gmail.com:

  • P Number
  • Best email
  • Cell/office numbers
  • Additional languages spoken
  • Where you currently accept appointments
  • Whether you completed 2019 CLE requirements
  • How many CLE credits completed in 2020 and from where

D 48 Bloomfield Hills – Stephanie Achenbach
Please email your resume to Stephanie Achenbach, Esq., MACC 48th District Court, stephyellow@icloud.com.

D 50 Pontiac – Paulette Michel Loftin
Please email a resume to attorneypaulette@gmail.com.

Lapeer County -- Paulette Michel Loftin
Please email a resume to attorneypaulette@gmail.com.

Macomb County – Tom Tomko, Public Defender Office Administrator, thomas.tomko@macombgov.org
Felony Appointments: https://www.macombgov.org/attorneylists for application. Return the completed application to Case Management, 5th Floor, Macomb County Courthouse, 40 N. Main, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043 or email to shelley.lemire@macombgov.org.
Misdemeanor Appointments: At this time, an attorney wanting to get on the list of court appointed attorneys for the 42ndDistrict Courts in Romeo or New Baltimore would apply directly with each court.

St. Clair County – Mike Boucher, Public Defender
Anyone interested in receiving appointments should contact Sandy Shankin at sshankin@stclaircounty.gov.

June 18, 2020 - Membership Meeting with Hon. Julie Gatti & Hon. James Maceroni

Please click here for  Zoom Meeting Contact information.

Sign up for 41B District Court text messages by emaiingl your cell phone information to
d.rudzinski@41bcourt-mi.us


 

June 18, 2020 Family Law Committee Meeting

Wayne FOC attorney line email is focattorneyline@3rdcc.org and the phone number is 313-224-5295. You must have an appearance on file or the FOC attorney access forms.

Power Point Presentation - How to File in Wayne County

May 21, 2020 Meeting - Special Guests Magistrate Ryan Zemke and Court Admin Jim McGrail

41B District Court Emails:

femminineoclerk@41bcourt-mi.us
fucaclerk@41bcourt-mi.us
lucidoclerk@41bcourt-mi.us
civilclerk@41bcourt-mi.us
j.mcgrail@41bcourt-mi.us
r.zemke@41bcourt-mi.us
traffic@41bcourt-mi.us

May 14, 2020 Family Law Committee Meeting - Special Guest Sheila Miller, Macomb County Clerks Office

May 7 - Family Law Committee Meeting - Special Guest Hon. Tracey Yokich

Family Law Tips of the Day
From Hon. Tracey Yokich
Unless you are the attorney of record - staff will not know who you are representing and admit you into the virtual courtroom.
So formal appearances and substitutions become even more important. The fact that an attorney appeared at a prior hearing - the staff person who is monitoring the waiting room - would never know. Phone calls prior to or the day of hearing are really cumbersome and slow down the admission of all parties to the virtual courtroom. If your name is not on our docket that day - staff has no idea you may have filed a pleading in the past and is now appearing on someone's behalf and don't have the time nor are they paid to comb the pleadings to try and identify the parties.
The best way to check ahead of time to see whether the Clerks office has added your name to Courtview so that it appears on our docket the day of your hearing - is to check Courtview.
If you are still unsure - call the main number at the Clerk's office or the Judge's staff. But please, please, please do this before the day of your hearing. Also, these types of calls will generally be met more cheerfully in the afternoon then in the morning when the judicial court clerk and secretary are attempting to move parties into the virtual courtroom for hearings that are scheduled.
Finally, if you are representing parties on a DO case, put a settlement on the record, and are asked to submit a judgment - do it by efiling not by emailing it to the individual judges' email account. If you email it directly to us we are forced to print it out, sign it, and then rescan it into the efile system. In addition, it will not be a priority for staff as it is not essential for an upcoming hearing.
If you submit your judgment through the efile system it is forwarded to the judges que for review and signing and returned to the Clerk's que for final processing.
Basically, you cause us a great deal more work. If you are unsure - please give us a quick call. (As you can imagine our paper use and cost has skyrocketed as we are doing all the copying of the documents you usually bring to Court with you on the date of your hearing.)
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