MIDC Overview
The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) was created by legislation in 2013. The MIDC Act is found at MCL §780.981 et seq.
The MIDC develops and oversees the implementation, enforcement, and modification of minimum standards, rules, and procedures to ensure that criminal defense services are delivered to all indigent adults in this state consistent with the safeguards of the United States Constitution, the Michigan Constitution of 1963, and with the MIDC Act.
The Governor makes appointments to the 18-member commission pursuant to MCL §780.987, and began doing so in 2014. The interests of a diverse group of partners in the criminal legal system are represented by Commissioners appointed on behalf of defense attorneys, judges, prosecutors, lawmakers, the state bar, bar associations advocating for minorities, local units of government, the state budget office, and the general public.
Strategic Plan Committee Members
- Christine Green, Committee Chair
- Joshua Blanchard
- Hon. Jeffrey Collins
- Nathaniel “Hakim” Crampton
- Margaret McAvoy
- William Swor
Strategic Plan Document | View and Download
Mission Statement
The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission ensures that quality public defense services are accessible to all eligible adults charged with a criminal offense in Michigan.
To Accomplish Its Mission, the MIDC:
- Develops and supports implementation of minimum standards and best practices for indigent defense;
- Advocates for public and private funding to ensure sustainable, resourced public defense systems that meet MIDC minimum standards and constitutional requirements for effective assistance of counsel;
- Monitors compliance with minimum standards for indigent defense;
- Exercises good stewardship of public funds designated to support indigent defense; and
- Collects and analyzes data to assess the impact of the Commission’s work and inform its decisions.
Core Values
In honoring the legal mandates for quality public defense services and fulfilling its mission, the MIDC is guided by these principles:
- The presumption of innocence is the highest priority in a constitutionally adequate criminal legal system.
- The pursuit of equal protection for all persons charged with criminal offenses and the elimination of systemic bias from the criminal legal system are bedrock to the Commission’s mission.
- Our communities and the broader public welfare are enhanced by a quality public defense system that recognizes the value, dignity, and humanity of all persons charged in criminal court through zealous, client-centered advocacy.
- Authentic partnerships with local governments is fundamental to the successful implementation of a quality public defense under the MIDC Act.
- Access to comprehensive and accurate criminal legal system data is necessary and important to inform the Commission’s work.
- Training and education of defense attorneys and other defense team members is critical to a quality public defense system.
- Partnerships with other stakeholders in the criminal legal system at the state and local level are critical to the Commission’s fulfillment of its mission.
- Public funding for indigent defense should be used effectively and efficiently to support quality public defense in Michigan.
Vision Statement
Through its contributions, the Commission envisions:
- A sustainable, well-resourced public defense system that honors the dignity of all persons that it serves
- Improved trust in the legal process through the provision of quality public defense services; and
- A just and equitable criminal legal system.
Priorities
Ensure the effective use of public funds approved and distributed by the MIDC
Short Term Goals:
- Identify and communicate best practices and resource sharing.
- Continue to refine tools to evaluate spending.
- Create a committee to review unexpended balances.
- Promote efficiency through the internal review process.
Long Term Goals:
- Consider recommendations proposed in the local share study completed in 2020.
- Develop processes for monitoring or reviewing spending practices in systems.
Act on the MIDC’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
Short Term Goals:
- Develop implicit bias and cultural competency training for staff and the Commission.
- Follow DEI best practices in hiring and retaining the Commission’s staff.
- Encourage local systems to use best practices in hiring indigent defense service providers.
- Support local efforts to collect data to help identify disparities.
- Collaborate with systems to support appointed attorneys in receiving training on implicit bias, cultural competency, and how to litigate issues like racial disparity.
Long Term Goals:
- Regularly review all Commission policies and standards with a DEI lens and assess whether new policies to promote DEI should be adopted.
- Communicate with scholars and local groups working on DEI.
- Collect data to help identify disparities at various stages of criminal prosecutions.
Support compliance with the MIDC’s standards
Short Term Goals:
- Refine and implement a process for dispute resolution between MIDC and local systems to resolve compliance issues.
- Set a regular schedule for review of our Grant Manual and other published policies.
- Provide technical resources to local funding units in accordance with the statutory directive.
Implement all MIDC Standards
Short Term Goals:
- Review and revise as necessary any pending standards previously approved by the MIDC.
- Work with LARA to secure approval of the pending standards.
Long Term Goals:
- Propose additional standards if necessary and/or not included in the MIDC Act.
Encourage innovation and best practices in public defense systems
Short Term Goals:
- Improve communication about best practices.
- Receive regular updates from staff and systems.
Long Term Goals:
- Establish innovation grant opportunities for trial court funding units from public and private sources.
- Seek grants designed to support indigent defense initiatives in Michigan.
Ensure operations and funding are in place to sustain the MIDC’s mission over time; explore national and private sources of funding
Short Term Goals:
- Review onboarding and orientation for new Commissioners.
- Establish open communications between staff and Commissioners through Executive Director.
- Revisit organizational structure periodically as necessary.
- Respond to collective suggestions and concerns from staff through the Executive Director about policy or system reform issues.
- Demonstrate MIDC’s impact through data collection and performance metrics.
- Establish an ad hoc committee to make recommendations about data collection.
Long Term Goals:
- Explore a permanent source of state revenue for the MIDC.
- Explore potential statutory or contract amendments to collect data to standardize the method of reporting and make the process less burdensome for the local units.
- Take a leadership role in ongoing efforts to modernize and standardize indigent criminal defense data collection.
Provide leadership in the criminal legal system
Short Term Goals:
- Identify audiences and leaders whose primary role is to improve public defense services and provide leadership to those stakeholders.
- Approach our supportive role with flexibility, recognition of ongoing trends, and developments in the criminal legal system.
Long Term Goals:
- Engage with, and prioritize feedback from, justice impacted people.
- Encourage collaboration and creativity in the community of defender leaders and facilitate access to resources for leaders.
Fortify relationship with LARA and external criminal legal system partners, including local system stakeholders
Short Term Goals:
- Explore opportunities to coordinate efforts to educate the public about the work of the MIDC through regular publications, press releases, etc.
- Engage Commissioners occasionally in meetings with state leadership.
Christine A. Green, Ann Arbor
Chair of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission
Represents the State Budget Office
Joshua Blanchard, Greenville
Represents the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan
Tracey Brame, Grand Rapids
Represents the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court
Kimberly Buddin, Novi
Represents those whose primary mission or purpose is to advocate for minority interests
Paul E. Bullock, Evart
Represents the Senate Majority Leader
Nathaniel “Hakim” L. Crampton, Jackson
Represents the general public
Andrew D. DeLeeuw, Manchester
Represents the Michigan Association of Counties
Hon. James Fisher (Retired), Hastings
Represents the Michigan Judges Association
Hon. Kristina Robinson Garrett, Detroit
Represents the Michigan District Judges Association
David W. Jones, Detroit
Represents the State Bar of Michigan
James R. Krizan, Allen Park
Represents the Michigan Municipal League
Debra Kubitskey, South Lyon
Represents the Senate Majority Leader
Margaret McAvoy, Owosso
Represents the Michigan Association of Counties
Tom McMillin, Oakland Township
Represents the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Cami M. Pendell
Supreme Court Chief Justice Designee, ex officio member
John Shea, Ann Arbor
Represents the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan
William Swor, Grosse Pointe Woods
Represents the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan
Robert VerHeulen, Walker
Represents the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Gary Walker, Marquette
Represents the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan
Strategic Plan Document | View and Download
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