Michigan Compiled Laws
Act 279 of 1909 - The Home Rule City Act (117.1 - 117.38)
Section 117.28 - Charter Change; Laws in Force; Justice and Police Courts, Justices, Charter Provisions, Ordinances.

Sec. 28.
In all cities now organized, which may hereafter amend or revise their charters under the provisions of this act, all of the provisions of the present law, whether general or special, applying to any such city relating to the qualifications, term of office, powers, jurisdiction, duties and compensation of justices of the peace and constables therein, and the conduct of all proceedings, suits and prosecutions before such justices of the peace and appeals therefrom, and all laws creating municipal courts and the proceedings thereof in any such city, shall remain in full force and effect, except as to the time and manner of nomination and elections of judges, justices and court officers: Provided, That any city having a justice court and a police court or a justice court may, in or by amendment to its charter provide for the abolishment of said courts and the consolidation of the powers, jurisdictions and duties of said courts into 1 court to be presided over by 1 judge or justice, who is a qualified resident elector of the city in which election is sought, and who shall be an attorney admitted to practice law in the supreme court of this state immediately preceding the date of his appointment or election, and who shall be paid a salary by said city, in lieu of all fees, both in civil and criminal cases, to which said judge or justice might be entitled but for the provisions of this act, which fees in civil cases shall be collected by said judge or justice and turned over by him to the city treasurer of said city on the first and fifteenth of each month, and which fees in criminal cases shall be charged and presented to and audited by the board of supervisors of the county in which said court is situated, in the same manner and amounts as provided by law in the case of justices of the peace in townships, and upon allowance by said board of supervisors, shall be paid monthly, by said county to the treasurer of said city for the use and benefit of said city, and who shall turn over to the county treasurer of such county all costs and fines in state criminal cases, and who shall turn over to the city treasurer of such city all costs and fines in city ordinance or charter cases, and who shall give bonds to such city and the county in which such city is located, in amounts to be fixed by such charter, and who, in the first instance, shall be appointed by the city commission or common council of such city to hold such office from the date when said courts, first above mentioned in this proviso, shall be abolished until his successor shall have been elected and qualified, as hereinafter set forth, and who shall be nominated and elected, as nearly as may be, in the manner the mayor of such city is nominated and elected, at the first general municipal primary and the first general municipal election following the adoption of such amendment of such charter, and at each such primary and election every 6 years thereafter, and whose term of office shall be 6 years, and shall commence on the first day of January following his election, and who shall be empowered to receive and take from said offices, so abolished, all files, records and dockets kept therein, appertaining to said offices, and who shall be empowered to issue executions according to law, upon any judgment appearing upon said dockets with the same effect as if said judgment had been rendered by him, and who shall have transferred to him any and all actions or proceedings pending in either of said offices so abolished, and who shall have full jurisdiction to proceed with such actions or proceedings in the same manner as if they had been brought before him originally, and who shall have the same powers, jurisdiction and duties, except as it shall be hereafter otherwise lawfully provided by charter, as are now conferred upon the justice and/or judge of the courts, first above mentioned in this proviso, and except as it is hereafter otherwise lawfully provided by charter, all of the provisions of the present law, whether general or special, applying to any such city and relating to appeals and to the conduct of all proceedings, suits and prosecutions, before either or both of the courts first above mentioned in this proviso, shall remain in full force and effect and shall be followed by such court and the judge or justice thereof into which they shall be so consolidated; and that any such city may also in its charter provide that the civil jurisdiction of such judge or justice ex contractu and ex delicto shall be increased to $500.00 with such exceptions and restrictions as are provided by law; and that such city may also in its charter provide that such judge or justice shall have the same power and authority to set aside a verdict or judgment and grant a new trial therein, upon legal cause, therefor, as the circuit courts of the state possess: Provided, however, That a motion in writing be made and filed with the judge or justice before whom such cause was tried, within 5 days after the rendition of the verdict or judgment in said case, which said motion shall briefly and plainly set forth the reasons and grounds upon which it is made and shall be supported by affidavits setting forth the facts relied upon to be filed at the time of filing the said motion, and notice of hearing of such motion, with copy of the motion and affidavits, filed as aforesaid, shall be served upon the adverse party or his attorney at least 2 days before the hearing thereof, and such motion shall be determined within 2 days after the same shall have been heard and submitted and such motion shall be submitted and heard within 1 week after the same shall have been filed, and the time for taking an appeal from judgment, in case such motion be not granted, shall begin to run from the time when such motion shall be overruled and in no case shall the pendency of such motion stay the issuing and levy of an execution in such case, but in case of a levy under execution pending such motion, no sale of the property so levied on shall be advertised or made until the final determination of such motion; and that such city may also in its charter provide that the city commission or common council shall fix the salary of such judge or justice; and such city may also in its charter provide that the city commission or the common council may provide for a clerk and 1 or more deputy clerks for such judge or justice to be paid such salary, give such bond and perform such duties as shall by ordinance be prescribed and such clerk and deputy clerks shall also, by virtue of their office, be empowered to administer oaths to persons making affidavits for writs in civil causes and to issue all processes and test the same in the name of such judge or justice and shall be required to collect all fees in civil causes and all costs and fines in criminal causes and all moneys paid into court for security for costs, bail or otherwise and to enter a record of the same in books kept by him for that purpose and to pay over the same to the authorities of the city or county or other persons entitled to the same, as directed by the proper authorities or by law, and the legislative body of such city shall cause the books of such clerks to be audited at least once each year to ascertain that such books are correctly kept and all moneys received have been properly accounted for; and that such city may also in its charter provide that any cause pending before any such judge or justice may, whenever such judge or justice is unable to act in such cause at the time the matter comes before him, be transferred upon his order or, in case of his absence, by the clerk to 1 of the justices of the peace of the county in which such city is located without any notice to the parties in such cause, but a note of such transfer shall be entered upon the docket of the case, and when 2 or more judges or justices shall have acted in any 1 cause or proceeding, the docket shall be signed in the manner and within the time provided by law by the judge or justice who shall have given the final judgment in such cause; and such o n its charter provide for a court officer for such court who shall have all of the duties and powers of court officer in the circuit courts of this state; and such city may also in its charter provide that jury cases may be set for trial upon 1 or more certain days of each month, or as soon thereafter as such trial can be reached, and may establish terms for the trial of jury cases, and may provide that a panel of jurors shall be drawn and certified to the clerk of such court in the manner provided by law for the drawing of circuit jurors in the county in which such city is located, and may determine the number of jurors to be drawn for each panel to serve at each term of such court. The selection of jurors to serve in each case shall be made as nearly as may be, in the same manner as provided in circuit courts, but the trial of such cause by jury shall be otherwise conducted as provided by law for trials by jury before justices of peace in townships, and further that as soon as all jury cases set for any term, and ready for trial, shall have been disposed of, the panel of jurors called for said term shall be discharged: Provided, however, That when there is no jury in attendance in said court, the judge or justice thereof, in order to avoid hardship from delay, may, in his discretion, order a jury impaneled in accordance with the method provided by law to secure a jury in trials before justices of the peace in townships; and such city may also in its charter provide that it shall be the duty of said judge or justice to instruct the jury as to the law applicable to the case, which instructions shall be received by the jury as the law of the case; and such city may also in its charter provide that such court shall be known as a municipal court and that said judge or justice shall be designated as municipal judge: Provided also, That any city may in its charter provide for and limit to 1 or more the number of justices of the peace for said city and may provide that the civil jurisdiction of such justice or justices ex contractu and ex delicto shall be increased to $500.00 with such exceptions and restrictions as are provided by law; and may also provide that such justice or justices shall have the same power and authority to set aside the verdict or judgment and grant a new trial therein, upon legal cause shown, therefor, as the circuit courts of the state possess: Provided, however, That a motion in writing be made and filed with the justice, before whom such cause was tried, within 5 days after the rendition of the verdict or judgment in said case, which said motion shall briefly and plainly set forth the reasons and grounds upon which it is made and shall be supported by affidavits setting forth the facts relied upon to be filed at the time of filing the said motion, and notice of hearing of such motion, with copy of the motion and affidavits, filed as aforesaid, shall be served upon the adverse party or his attorney at least 2 days before the hearing thereof, and such motion shall be determined within 2 days after the same shall have been heard and submitted and such motion shall be submitted and heard within 1 week after the same shall have been filed, and the time for taking an appeal from judgment, in case such motion be not granted, shall begin to run from the time when such motion shall be overruled and in no case shall the pendency of such motion stay the issuing and levy of an execution in such case, but in case of a levy under execution pending such motion, no sale of the property so levied on shall be advertised or made until the final determination of such motion; and may also in its charter, or by ordinance, provide that any such justice or justices of the peace shall be paid a salary in lieu of fees, and the amount of said salary to be fixed by said charter or ordinance, in which case all fees chargeable by such justice of the peace shall be collected and paid over to such city; and that any city may also, in cases where its justice or justices of the peace have been placed on salary, provide in its charter or by ordinance for a clerk and 1 or more deputy clerks for such justice or justices of the peace to be paid such salary, give such bond and perform such duties as shall by charter or ordinance be prescribed and such clerk and deputy clerks shall also, by virtue of their office, be empowered to administer oaths to persons making affidavits for writs in civil causes and to issue all processes and test the same in the name of either or any of the justices of the peace of the city and shall be required to collect all fees in civil causes and all costs and fines in criminal causes and all moneys paid into court for security for costs, bail or otherwise, and to enter a record of the same in a book kept by him for that purpose and be paid over by him to the authorities of the city or county or other persons entitled to the same, as directed by the proper authorities or by law and the legislative body of such city shall cause the books of such clerks to be audited at least once each year to ascertain that such books are correctly kept and that all money received has been properly accounted for; and may also provide that any cause pending before any justice of the peace of said city may, whenever such justice is unable to act in such cause at the time the matter comes before him, be transferred upon his order or, in case of his absence, by the clerk to 1 of the other justices of the peace of such city without any notice to the parties in the cause, but a note of such transfer shall be entered upon the docket of the case and when 2 or more justices shall have acted in any 1 cause or proceeding the docket shall be signed in the manner and within the time provided by law by the justice who shall have given the final judgment in such cause; and, in cases where such justices have been placed on salary and a clerk or clerks have been provided, such city may, by charter or ordinance, provide that jury cases may be set for trial upon 1 or more certain days of each month, or as soon thereafter as such trial can be reached, and to establish terms for the trial of jury cases and may provide that a panel of jurors shall be drawn and certified to the clerk of such justice court in the manner provided by law for the drawing of circuit court jurors in the county where such city is located, and shall determine the number of jurors to be drawn for each panel to serve at each term of such justice court. The selection of jurors to serve in each case shall be made, as nearly as may be, in the same manner as provided in circuit courts, but the trial of such cause by jury shall be otherwise conducted as provided by law for trials by jury before justices of the peace in townships, and further that as soon as all jury cases set for any term, and ready for trial, shall have been disposed of, the panel of jurors called for said term shall be discharged: Provided, however, That when there is no jury in attendance in said court the justice thereof, in order to avoid hardship from delay, may, in his discretion, order a jury impaneled in accordance with the method provided by law to secure a jury in trials before justices of the peace in townships.
History: 1909, Act 279, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909 ;-- Am. 1911, Act 203, Eff. Aug. 1, 1911 ;-- Am. 1915, Act 82, Eff. Aug. 24, 1915 ;-- CL 1915, 3331 ;-- Am. 1917, Act 275, Eff. Aug. 10, 1917 ;-- Am. 1919, Act 118, Eff. Aug. 14, 1919 ;-- Am. 1927, Act 32, Imd. Eff. Apr. 12, 1927 ;-- CL 1929, 2264 ;-- CL 1948, 117.28 ;-- Am. 1954, Act 75, Eff. Aug. 13, 1954 ;-- Am. 1965, Act 359, Eff. Mar. 31, 1966 Compiler's Notes: Act 203 of 1911, which amended this section, was held unconstitutional and void. See note to MCL 117.1. The 1911 amendment reads as follows:“Sec. 28. In all cities now organized, which may hereafter amend or revise their charters under the provisions of this act, all of the provisions of the present law, whether general or special, applying to any such city relating to the qualifications, term of office, powers, jurisdiction, duties and compensation of justices of the peace and constables therein, and the conduct of all proceedings, suits and prosecutions before such justices of the peace, and appeals therefrom, and all laws creating municipal courts and the proceedings thereof in any such city, shall remain in full force and effect, except as to the time and manner of nomination and elections of judges, justices and court officers.

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