COURT NEWS UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

This week’s court news includes high marks for area courts when it comes to interactions with the public as well as updates on upcoming trials.

The public satisfaction survey is done every year in courts around the state. It was developed with input from judges and court administrators statewide and tabulated by the State Court Administrative Office to ensure accuracy. The survey enables courts to identify strengths, provide positive feedback to employees, and target areas for improvement.

In Cass County, Cass County Chief Judge Susan Dobrich said this was the sixth year in a row that the county courts received high marks from the public regarding their experiences with the courts. The public satisfaction survey was administered in courts statewide.

People were asked a number of questions including whether the Cass County Courts were accessible, timely, and fair, and if users were treated with courtesy and respect by judges and court staff.

“Our Courts serve the public, so the public’s views are critically important in helping us make decisions on how to improve Court operations,” Judge Dobrich said. “I am very proud of the hard work put in by our Cass County Courts team and we remain committed to being even more efficient, focusing on continual improved service to the public.”

Highlights from all of the surveys given in Circuit, Family/Probate and District Courts included 96 percent of court users saying they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff, 94 percent saying they were treated with courtesy and respect by judges, magistrates and referees and 91 percent saying they were able to get their business done timely.

“We use the data from this survey to make management decisions that help better serve the public,” Court Administrator Carol Montavon Bealor said. “Our goal is for every person who comes through the doors of the Law & Courts Building to be satisfied and treated fairly.”

Berrien County courts also received good marks from the public. 93 percent of court users said they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff, 80 percent said judges and magistrates handled their cases fairly and 82 percent said they were able to get their business done in a reasonable amount of time.

“Serving the public is our mission,” Berrien Chief Judge Gary Bruce stated in a news release. “Receiving high marks from those we serve is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our court staff. We will continue to work hard to improve both our efficiency and our service to the citizens of Berrien County and the State of Michigan.”

The first of several high profile trials started next week. The John Benton Lewis murder trial begins Tuesday, Feb. 5 with jury selection at the St. Joseph courthouse. The trial is scheduled to last 10 days before Berrien County Trial Judge Gordon Hosbein.

Lewis is accused of killing his wife at their Niles Township home in August 2017. He claimed that unknown males broke into their home and shot his wife. Police and prosecutors have said that Lewis made inconsistent statements about the incident, was having an affair with another woman and had asked an acquaintance to bring ammunition to the home that day.

The case has been delayed a number of times since then, first with the recusal of Berrien County Trial Judge Angela Pasula who knew the victim. It was then assigned to Judge Donna Howard who oversaw the case until her re-assignment to the court’s civil division when it was assigned to Judge Hosbein.

Three Cass County cases will go to trial this spring, summer and fall. Lance Reeves of St. Joseph is accused of causing the death of his two-year-old stepdaughter in 2016. His case is set for a pretrial April 1 and a jury trial starting May 7.

The Rolandis Russell murder trial is set to start in June. He is accused of the late July 2018 shooting death of Fabian Wesaw outside a bar in downtown Dowagiac. The pretrial in that case is set for April 8 with the trial getting underway June 7.

The George Field trial is set to start in September. Field is the former Southwestern Michigan College instructor accused of criminal sexual conduct against a former student. He was arrested in 2017 and was in jail until last summer when bond was reduced.

The Field case is being handled by an Allegan County judge after Cass Circuit Judge Mark Herman recused himself last summer. The pretrial conference is set for Aug. 23 with the trial set to start Sept. 10 at the Cass Law and Courts Building.