Article: Michigan Federal District Courts Embrace New Technology
8/5/2002 Jeffrey G. Raphelson and Alan Nathan Harris
In his January 31, 2001 State of the State Address, Governor Engler proposed the creation of a “cyber court” in which litigants could file all pleadings and papers electronically and conduct hearings, trials and other proceedings by videoconference, broadcast to the public through streaming video on the Internet. The Michigan Legislature responded, passing the Cyber Court Act (Public Act 262 of 2001), which Governor Engler signed on January 9, 2001. "In a world where we can go from idea to IPO at warp speed, we need a connected court that can keep up," Governor Engler said. Unfortunately, the cyber court ran out of funding and it will not open this fall as anticipated. Whether it opens at all depends on the fiscal priorities of our new governor and the legislature next January. However, those who were looking forward to the introduction of high technology into the notoriously low-tech courtroom world can take heart. Michigan’s federal courts have taken dramatic steps in that direction.
