House Bill 4833 would preserve the 48th District Court’s existing three‑judge bench rather than permitting a reduction that took effect from the 2011 judicial reallocation. Rep. Steele and Chief Judge Diane D'Agostino testified the district court’s caseload and complexity have increased because of legislative changes — including no‑fault auto insurance reforms, clean‑slate law changes, criminal justice reforms, and expanded duties such as a certified treatment court — and that those changes were not present when the 2011 reductions were calculated.

Judge D'Agostino said the court’s civil docket rose by roughly 58% in one year and that the court expected to close approximately 32,500 cases in the current year; she emphasized the distinction between traffic‑oriented filings and substantive civil/criminal matters that require more judge time. She said the court serves eight police agencies, handles a rising number of search warrants and digital evidence matters, and that SCALE has placed the court under secondary review because of its increasing civil docket.

Committee members asked questions about SCALE’s earlier report, population counts for the jurisdiction (estimates provided by the judge), and the timeline for any change. Judge D'Agostino said the court received a notice that it was under secondary review and invited SCALE analysts to observe court operations; she asked the committee to consider the post‑2011 legal and procedural changes when evaluating the judgeship recommendation.

Quotes
"Due process for crime victims and defendants with the sweeping changes that your Michigan legislature and the Michigan Supreme Court have enacted ... the reduction plan is entirely inconsistent with those goals," Chief Judge Diane D'Agostino told the committee.

Details
- Caseload: Judge said the court expects to close roughly 32,500 cases in the current year and cited a 54–84% increase in certain civil filings since 2021.
- SCALE/SCAO: The judge said the court is under secondary review by SCALE and that SCALE’s analysts have been invited to observe operations.
- Committee action: Testimony taken; committee did not record a final vote on HB 4833 during this session.