Trial Court Services (also known as TCS) is the primary source for management support for Michigan's trial courts. Trial Court Services has several units focusing on specific functional areas of trial court administration for the circuit, district, and probate courts.
Trial court services staff:
- provide management assistance and oversight to trial courts in conjunction with regional office staff
- establish, maintain, and implement performance and procedural standards for trial court administration
- develop and implement forms
- provide liaison to court organization and external stakeholder agencies in state and local government
- implement Supreme Court administrative policy
- provide assistance with trial court management and planning
- manage the distribution of information to trial courts
- develop and implement standards and guidelines for various areas of trial court operations
- provide support staff to various committees, task forces, workgroups, and various special programs and projects managed by SCAO
- perform other functions relating to the operations of trial courts
Management Assistance
At the request of a trial court, Trial Court Services will conduct management assistance projects to review court operations and procedures in the areas of:
general court administration, probation services, and friend of the court offices
policies and procedures
human resources
records and case file management
case processing
jury management
collection and enforcement of fines and costs
Contact your regional office to discuss your needs and to make arrangements with Trial Court Services.
Specialized Programs
Trial Court Services administers the following specialized programs.
The State Court Administrative Office has established a state level program that provides for the testing and certification of foreign language interpreters for use in Michigan courts. It conducts basic orientation workshops that are designed to acquaint interested persons with the methods used for testing and offers advanced skills workshops for persons working as Spanish or Arabic interpreters in the courts.
The Board of Review, staffed by the State Court Administrative Office, establishes criteria for certification of court reporters and recorders and administers tests for certification of court reporters and recorders. The State Court Administrative Office provides an executive secretary for the board, and is responsible for administration of tests, maintenance of certification lists, and enforcement of sanctions for failure to conform to certification and other rules.
Over the past few years, there has been a national movement toward utilizing problem-solving courts to address the cyclical nature in which certain offenders move in and out of the criminal justice system. Many problem-solving courts have commenced operations in Michigan.