Documenting judicial patterns, appellate reversals, and systemic issues in Michigan's court system.
The Michigan Supreme Court invoked MCR 7.305(H)(1) to remand a Kalamazoo COVID wedding dispute after the Court of Appeals denied leave "for lack of merit." On remand, the COA unanimously reversed — finding six distinct errors. No Michigan media outlet covered the reversal.
Read Full Analysis →Two Court of Appeals panels reviewed the same Kalamazoo defendant, the same type of COVID wedding defenses, and the same lower courts — and reached diametrically opposite conclusions. A side-by-side analysis of Stallworth (2024) and Joseph (2025).
Read Full Analysis →James Joseph never signed the contract. He never made a payment. But a Kalamazoo court awarded him $11,548 after an attorney missed a deadline by three days — and a divided Court of Appeals affirmed over a strong dissent.
Read Full Analysis →Michigan's Supreme Court established a clear framework for setting aside default judgments in Alken-Ziegler, Inc v Waterbury Headers Corp. What happens when lower courts simply refuse to apply it? A practitioner's guide.
Read Full Analysis →Michigan Court Watch is an independent project documenting Michigan appellate court decisions and judicial accountability. We track patterns in how Michigan courts apply procedural rules, review lower court decisions, and handle default judgments. Our analysis is sourced exclusively from public court records and published opinions. Learn more →