COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The report card is in on how Branch County judges stack up in fairness and other issues compared to the rest of Michigan in an annual survey conducted for the State Supreme Court. Statewide, 82 percent of respondents say that they got a fair shake from the bench; 86% got their business done in a reasonable amount of time; and 93% felt that they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff.
The experience in Branch County was basically in the same ballpark compared to the state. The only area where the local percentage was slightly lower than the statewide average was found to the question of if their case was handled fairly. In Branch County, it was 79%, compared to 82% statewide.
On the other questions, the local grades were higher than the statewide percentages. In Branch County, 99% agree or strongly agree that they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff while 90% said they were able to get their court business done in a reasonable amount of time.
26,000 people statewide were surveyed late last year as part of the Michigan Supreme Court’s efforts to measure trial court performance and improve service to the public.
