SENATE BILL No. 1136

 

 

November 6, 2014, Introduced by Senator SCHUITMAKER and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled

 

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"

 

by amending section 8322 (MCL 600.8322), as amended by 2005 PA 326.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 8322. (1) A person An individual serving as a bailiff of

 

the common pleas court of Detroit on August 31, 1981, pursuant to

 

under an appointment under section 23 of former 1929 PA 260, shall

 

become a bailiff of the district court in the thirty-sixth district

 

on September 1, 1981. A bailiff shall be is considered a court

 

officer under section 8321(1) for the exclusive purpose of serving

 

civil process in a civil action commenced in the district court in

 

the thirty-sixth district, except for process issued in a summary


 

proceeding under chapter 57. All process issued by the district

 

court in civil actions shall must be rotated among the bailiffs

 

pursuant to under rules adopted by the court. A bailiff shall file

 

with the clerk of the court a surety bond in the amount of

 

$100,000.00 with a surety company. The district control unit shall

 

pay the premium on the surety bond. shall be paid by the district

 

control unit. A bailiff shall possess has only the powers necessary

 

to serve process issued by the court. A bailiff governed pursuant

 

to under this subsection may bear arms while in office and in the

 

exercise of his or her duties as bailiff. A bailiff shall hold

 

office until death, retirement, resignation, or removal from office

 

by the court for inability to perform essential functions of the

 

office or for misfeasance or malfeasance in office. A vacancy in

 

the office of bailiff as established pursuant to under this

 

subsection shall not be filled.

 

     (2) A person An individual serving as a bailiff of the common

 

pleas court on August 31, 1981, pursuant to under an appointment

 

under section 31 of former 1929 PA 260, shall become a bailiff of

 

the district court in the thirty-sixth district on September 1,

 

1981. A bailiff shall be is considered a court officer under

 

section 8321(1) for the exclusive purpose of serving civil process

 

in summary proceedings commenced under chapter 57 in the district

 

court in the thirty-sixth district. All process issued by the

 

district court in summary proceedings shall must be rotated among

 

the bailiffs pursuant to under rules adopted by the court, except

 

that a writ of restitution shall must be issued to the bailiff to

 

whom the summons was issued in the particular proceeding. A bailiff


 

shall file with the clerk of the court a surety bond in an amount

 

of $100,000.00 with a surety company. The district control unit

 

shall pay the premium on the surety bond. shall be paid by the

 

district control unit. A bailiff governed pursuant to under this

 

subsection shall be is considered a peace officer only for the

 

purpose of receiving compensation provided by 1937 PA 329, MCL

 

419.101 to 419.104. A bailiff shall hold office until death,

 

retirement, resignation, or removal from office by the court for

 

inability to perform essential functions of the office or for

 

misfeasance or malfeasance in office. A vacancy in the office of

 

bailiff established pursuant to under this subsection shall not be

 

filled.

 

     (3) A bailiff governed pursuant to under this section shall

 

keep a written record of the date, amount, and nature of each

 

financial transaction conducted by the bailiff in the course of his

 

or her service as bailiff. An The district control unit shall

 

annually conduct an audit of each bailiff's financial transactions

 

shall be conducted annually by the district control unit and

 

reported and report the audit immediately to the judges of the

 

district. If the audit prescribed by this subsection is not

 

conducted by the district control unit before June 30 of any year,

 

the judges of the court shall contract with a certified public

 

accountant to perform the audit. If a certified public accountant

 

is required to perform the audit, the district control unit shall

 

pay the cost of the audit. shall be paid by the district control

 

unit.

 

     (4) Upon On the existence of a vacancy in the office of


 

bailiff established under this section, the chief judge of the

 

district may appoint a court officer pursuant to under section

 

8321(1).

 

     (5) A bailiff serving civil process pursuant to under

 

subsection (1) or (2) shall be compensated by salary and the fees

 

and mileage prescribed in section 8326. A full-time bailiff, as

 

defined by the employer designated under section 8274(2) or (3),

 

shall receive from the city of Detroit a $20,000.00 annual salary.

 

For each part-time bailiff, as defined by the employer designated

 

under section 8274(2) or (3), the employer designated under section

 

8274(2) or (3) shall establish a salary which is a pro rata portion

 

of $20,000.00 based on that portion of a full-time bailiff's

 

workload to be assigned to the bailiff. A bailiff covered by

 

described in this subsection is not entitled to any compensation

 

from the city of Detroit other than that specifically authorized in

 

this subsection.

 

     (6) A bailiff serving civil process pursuant to under

 

subsection (1) or (2) shall not become a member of the state

 

employees' retirement system created by the state employees'

 

retirement act, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.1 to 38.69. Beginning September

 

1, 1981, the city of Detroit shall contribute to the retirement

 

system in which the bailiff is a member on August 31, 1981, an

 

amount equal to the amount which that the state would have

 

contributed to the state employees' retirement system pursuant to

 

under the state employees' retirement act, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.1 to

 

38.69, if the bailiff had become a member of the state employees'

 

retirement system, based on the salary paid by the city of Detroit


 

pursuant to under subsection (5). Beginning September 1, 1981, each

 

bailiff shall continue to contribute to the retirement system in

 

which the bailiff is a member on August 31, 1981, as required by

 

ordinance, based on salary and fees received pursuant to under

 

subsection (5), except mileage.

 

     (7) From Except as otherwise provided in subsection (9), from

 

each filing fee collected under section 8371, the clerk of the

 

court shall pay to the Wayne county retirement system the sum of

 

$1.00, to be credited to the retirement fund of the bailiffs of the

 

district court in the thirty-sixth district serving civil process

 

pursuant to under subsection (1). The county of Wayne shall

 

annually review the retirement fund and shall ensure that the fund

 

is maintained in an actuarially sound condition. Copies of the

 

actuarial reports shall must be provided to the employer designated

 

under section 8274(2) or (3) and to the chief judge of the thirty-

 

sixth district.

 

     (8) From Except as otherwise provided in subsection (9), from

 

each filing fee collected for filing a summary proceeding under

 

section 5756, the clerk of the court shall pay to the Wayne county

 

retirement system the sum of $1.00 for each defendant served in the

 

proceeding, to be credited to the retirement fund of the bailiffs

 

of the district court in the thirty-sixth district serving civil

 

process pursuant to under subsection (2). However, the amount

 

credited to the retirement fund under this subsection shall must

 

not exceed 1/2 of the fee collected in a proceeding. The county of

 

Wayne shall annually review the retirement fund and shall ensure

 

that the fund is maintained in an actuarially sound condition.


 

Copies of the actuarial reports shall must be provided to the

 

employer designated under section 8274(2) or (3) and to the chief

 

judge of the thirty-sixth district.

 

     (9) After the death of the last surviving bailiff to serve in

 

the district court in the thirty-sixth district under subsections

 

(1) and (2) or the last surviving spouse or other beneficiary

 

eligible for survivor's benefits from the Wayne county retirement

 

system because of his or her relationship to the bailiff, the clerk

 

of the court shall pay the portion of the filing fees described in

 

subsections (7) and (8) to the district court in the thirty-sixth

 

district.