MSC amends court rules, appoints chief probate judge

In orders released yesterday, the Michigan Supreme Court:

• appointed Thomas K. Byerley as chief judge of the Eaton County Probate Court for a term ending Dec. 31, 2011. ADM File No. 2010-01.
• amended MCR 6.433 to require criminal defendants to show good cause before being furnished a second set of court documents at no charge. ADM File No. 2008-25.
• amended MCR 7.211, 7.313 and 8.119 to clarify that materials filed with a trial court, with the Court of Appeals, or with the Supreme Court that relate to a motion to seal a record are nonpublic until the court disposes of the motion. ADM File No. 2009-18.
• retained amendments of MCR 5.105, 5.125, 5.201, 5.501, 5.801 and 5.802 and retained new MCR 5.208. ADM File No. 2009-26.
• proposed amendments of MCR 3.973, 3.975 and 3.976 to require a court to maintain a local foster care review board report in the court’s confidential social file, and ensure that all parties have had the opportunity to review the report before the court enters a dispositional order, dispositional review order, or permanency planning order. Courts also could include recommendations from the report in their orders under the proposed language. ADM File No. 2010-09.
• proposed an amendment of MCR 1.108 to allow a computed period of time to be extended to the next day the court is open when the last day in the period is a day that the court was closed by court order. ADM File No. 2009-30.

Granholm fills two judicial vacancies

Governor Jennifer Granholm has filled two judicial vacancies.

Jennifer Cass Barnes of Bay City has been named to the 74th District Court. Barnes replaces retiring Judge Scott Newcombe.

Barnes is a former legislative director for State Sen. Jim Barcia (D-Bay City), and the former enforcement attorney for Michigan Works!. She was also director for Bay County Friend of the Court and a public defender. Her term expires Jan. 1, 2011.

Granholm has also appointed Thomas K. Byerley of Dimondale to the Eaton County Probate Court.

Byerley’s appointment fills a vacancy created by the death of Judge Michael Skinner earlier this year.

Byerley was the State Bar of Michigan’s director of professional standards before moving to private practice with White, Schneider, Young & Chiodini . He’s a former manager of the Michigan Judicial Institute and has taught at Notre Dame and Southwestern Michigan College. His term expires Jan. 1, 2011.