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NOTICE
The 15th District Court will be closed to the public from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2022 for an All Staff Meeting.
Beginning November 16th 2022, the Clerks Office will be closed to the public on Wednesday afternoons beginning at 12 pm through the remainder of the year. Emergency filings may be left in the drop box.
At this time,
FACE MASKS ARE
NOT REQUIRED to be worn by visitors to the 15th DISTRICT COURT. However, anyone who wishes to wear one for any reason is welcome to do so.
Thank you.
Alternatives to In-person Services
For assistance, please contact the Traffic/Criminal Division 734.794.6750, option 1, or the Civil Division 734.794.6752, option 4, during normal business hours.
Case Evaluation
Due to revisions in the Case Evaluation Court Rules, the 15th Judicial
District Court ceased its practice of referring all No Fault Provider cases valued at $5,000.00 or more to case evaluation. If a case has already been docketed for case evaluation, the case evaluation hearing will take place as scheduled. Any case that has not been scheduled, will not be scheduled. However, parties may agree to case evaluation by submitting a stipulation and proposed Order to the Court. The Stipulated Order must be submitted to the Court by the Status Conference date and time.
Upcoming dates:
- 1/10/23 CASE EVALUATION DOCKET WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM
Please see the Civil Division page for additional information.
Civil Schedule for the week December 5 - December 9, 2022
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IF YOUR GENERAL CIVIL CASE HAS SETTLED PLEASE FAX THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT
(734) 794-6753 AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR HEARING.
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All civil proceedings will continue to be conducted via Zoom video conferencing unless parties are notified otherwise by the Court.
- December 7 - Motions for Summary Disposition (MSD): In those cases which the Court has dispensed with oral argument pursuant to MCR 2.119(E)(3), the Court will render a written Opinion and Order. In those cases which the Court will hear oral argument via Zoom, parties will receive a Zoom invitation via email. Zoom invitations are only sent to the attorney of record.
- December 7 - Motions, other than motions for summary disposition, will be held via Zoom. Parties will receive a Zoom invitation via email. Zoom invitations are only sent to the attorney of record. Please note motions will be held at 1:30 p.m.
- December 7 - All cases set for Final Pretrial at 2 p.m. will be scheduled by the Court for Final Settlement Conference and Jury Trial or Bench Trial, if there was no jury demand. Parties will receive these dates by mail. No appearance required.
- December 7 - Cases set for Entry of Order at 3 p.m. will be dismissed by the Court if an order closing the case has been received by this date. No appearance is required.
- December 8 - Bench Trials at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. - Parties will receive a Zoom invitation via email. Zoom invitations are only sent to the attorney of record.
- December 9 - Final Settlement Conferences at 10 a.m. will be held in-person. Parties should appear at their scheduled time in Courtroom 2 on the 5th floor of the Ann Arbor Justice Center.
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Final Settlement Conference Instructions for Civil Provider Cases.
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Livestream video is available on the Court's YouTube channel.
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Stay updated by subscribing to the Court's Twitter Account, @15thAnn.
Criminal Misdemeanor Schedule
The Court has the ability to conduct hearings via Zoom technology. If you would like to have a Zoom hearing, see the "Court Appearances via Zoom" section below for contact information.
State Pretrial Dockets
Parties whose cases are assigned to
Judge Perry may request a hearing via Zoom on December 7 and December 21.
Parties whose cases are assigned to
Judge Valvo may request a hearing via Zoom on December 1, December 15, and December 29.
City Pretrial dockets
Parties whose cases are assigned to
Judge Valvo may request a hearing via Zoom on December 5 and December 19.
Parties whose cases are assigned to
Judge Perry may request a hearing via Zoom on December 2, December 16, and December 29.
Domestic Violence dockets
Parties whose cases are assigned to
Judge Perry may request a hearing via Zoom on November 30, December 14, and December 28.
Additional dates may be given for emergency hearings as needed.
Landlord-Tenant Schedule
Landlord-Tenant dockets are held every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Parties may request to participate via Zoom.
THERE WILL BE NO LANDLORD TENANT DOCKET ON DECEMBER 27, 2022.
Any questions regarding this process should be emailed to the Landlord-Tenant Clerk at
[email protected]. Do not sumbit pleadings to this email address unless directed to do so by the Court.
Small Claims Mediation
Small claims cases will be scheduled for online mediation through the Washtenaw County Dispute Resolution Center (DRC). Notices will be mailed along with the information sheet for the online platform, MI-Resolve (text format) or Zoom mediation, that the parties have been assigned to use.
DRC Mediation Information Sheet
Court Appearances via Zoom
Parties who wish to participate in their hearings via Zoom should email the contact person for their assigned Judge at least 24 hours in advance during normal business hours in order to schedule a Zoom hearing. Parties will receive an email from the Court containing a link to the Zoom hearing.
Virtual Appearance Information Sheet
During the COVID-19 state of emergency, the 15th District Court is, where possible, conducting hearings remotely, using Zoom videoconferencing. While limitations on public access to the courthouse are in effect, the Court will make hearings accessible to the public by livestreaming all Court hearings ultilizing YouTube, except those cases made non-public by law. You may access the Courts' proceedings by follwing these links:
Magistrate Garwood
Judge Burke
Judge Valvo
Judge Perry
About the Court:
The 15th Judicial District Court is located in downtown Ann Arbor in the Ann Arbor Justice Center. The court is presided over by three judges; the Honorable Joseph F. Burke, the Honorable Miriam A. Perry and the Honorable Karen Quinlan Valvo, as well as one appointed magistrate, the Honorable Tamara Garwood. Daily court operations are overseen by Court Administrator Shryl Samborn and Deputy Court Administrator Jim Bauer.
The court is comprised of four divisions: Administration, Civil, Traffic/Criminal, and Probation. Administration is responsible for the administrative management of all non-judicial functions of the Court. The Civil Division maintains the court files for general civil, landlord-tenant, and small claims cases. The Traffic/Criminal Division maintains the records for all traffic and criminal misdemeanors, civil infractions, ordinance violations, and University of Michigan Regents violations. The Probation Department is responsible for pre-sentence investigations, alcohol assessments, supervision, counseling, and referrals to outside assessment and treatment programs for those who are placed on probation.
The 15th Judicial District Court has jurisdiction over cases which include but are not limited to:
- Civil Cases where the disputed amount is $25,000 or less
- Small Claims cases where the disputed amount is $6,500 or less
- Landlord/Tenant disputes
- Criminal & Traffic Misdemeanors punishable by 1 year or less in jail
- Arrest Warrant &Search Warrant Issuance
- Ann Arbor City Ordinance Violations
- Traffic & State Civil Infractions
- University of Michigan Regents Ordinance Violations
- Felony Probable Cause Conferences & Preliminary Exams
Notice to Visitors
If you will be visiting the court, please note that all visitors to the Ann Arbor Justice Center must successfully pass through the security screening process to enter. All visitors and their belongings are subject to search by Court Security Officers. All visitors are required to pass through metal detectors. All purses, briefcases, or other containers are required to pass through an x-ray machine. The following items are prohibited:
- Weapons, e.g. cutting edge instruments such as pocket knives
- Any other items that may be construed as weapons by Court Security Officers
- Food & Beverages
Please do not bring any prohibited items with you into the courthouse; leave them at home or in your vehicle.
Requests for ADA Accommodations or Foreign Language Interpreters
Please contact the court prior to your visit if you will need an ADA accommodation or a Foreign Language Interpreter. Request forms are located the court's Forms web page in the Miscellaneous section. Additional information can be found on the Local Administrative Orders web page. Questions should be directed to Court Administrator Shryl Samborn at 734.794.6757 or
[email protected].
For information regarding disability resources, including parking, please visit the
City of Ann Arbor Streets, Buildings, and Parking web page.
