Opinion
No. 2002-09.
April 22, 2003.
On order of the Court, the experimental use of two-way interactive video technology authorized by Administrative Order No. 2001-4 is extended until July 1, 2004, or until further order of this Court.
Also, the counties of Allegan, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Ontonagon are added to those that may be approved by the State Court Administrator under AO 2001-4 to conduct hearings concerning initial involuntary treatment and continuing treatment in mental-health cases in the probate court, and the counties of Allegan and Ingham are added to those that may be approved to conduct, in the family division of the circuit court: (1) preliminary hearings and review hearings in child-protective proceedings; (2) preliminary hearings held in juvenile-delinquency proceedings to satisfy the requirements of subrule 5.935(A)(1) of the Michigan Court Rules [to be redesignated MCR 3.935(A)(1), effective May 1, 2003]; and (3) postdispositional progress reviews and dispositional review hearings, where the court does not order a more physically restrictive level of placement or more restrictive treatment of the juvenile.
Finally, prisons, the offices of Family Independence Agency child-protective workers, and the offices of foster-care workers from the FIA or private agencies with whom the FIA contracts for child foster-care services are added to the list of venues that may be linked to a courtroom for the conduct of those proceedings authorized by AO 2001-4.