Section: Nonpartisan

Cases usually start in one of Michigan’s Trial Courts (Circuit, Probate, and District). Here, a jury and/or judge hear evidence and make findings of fact when they decide cases. Michigan has 57 Circuit Courts presided over by a total of 221 judges. (Ann Arbor is in the 22nd Circuit.)

At the Court of Appeals, a 3-judge panel can review a trial court decision if either party is dissatisfied with the result. Michigan has 4 appellate court districts. Each has 6 judges who are elected to 6-year terms. (Ann Arbor is in the 3rd District.)

Michigan’s Supreme Court decides cases that affect the entire state. As the state’s “court of last resort,” justices on the Michigan Supreme Court have the final say on state law. There are 7 justices, each elected to 8-year terms.