Below is a list of press releases, newsletters and announcements from the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan. Bookmark this page and visit for future updates.
To request film and electronic media coverage of Court Proceedings click here.
For questions or to get in touch with our communications department, contact:
Public Information Officer
313-967-3683
media@3rdcc.org
History of Third Judicial Circuit
The history of the court includes Detroit Recorder’s Court, one of the oldest courts of record in the U.S. Detroit Recorder’s Court traces its origins to Detroit’s Mayor’s Court established in 1824 and was formally created as a separate court in 1857. It functioned as a court of limited jurisdiction for decades with exclusive authority over felony criminal cases arising within the City of Detroit, as well as traffic and ordinance violations, but it did not hear civil matters.
Pursuant to state law, Detroit Recorder’s Court was abolished and merged into the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan effective October 1, 1997, with its judges becoming circuit court judges. Its final Chief before consolidation was the Hon. Vera Massey Jones. This merger integrated its criminal jurisdiction into Third Circuit Court, marking the end of a distinct institution that had handled many of Detroit’s most significant criminal cases for over a century.
Detroit, Mich. (July 16, 2026) — Due to hazardous air quality conditions resulting from smoke from the Canadian wildfires, the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan will close all court operations to the public beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, through Friday, July 17.
All in-person hearings, proceedings, and other in-person matters scheduled during the closure will be adjourned and rescheduled. Remote-only proceedings will continue July 16-17 as scheduled. Parties with scheduled court appearances will receive additional information regarding their new court dates.
While court operations will be closed to the public, court employees will continue operations remotely to maintain essential court functions and support critical business. As mentioned, this includes remote proceedings.
Air quality in Wayne County is expected to remain at severely unhealthy levels through at least Friday, according to current forecasts. To protect the health and safety of the public and court employees, all four Third Judicial Circuit Court locations will be closed for in-person public business during this period.
The court currently anticipates resuming normal operations and reopening all operations on Monday, July 20 at 8:30 a.m., pending further updates on air quality conditions.
The Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan appreciates the public's patience and understanding as these temporary measures are taken to safeguard the health and well-being of everyone who uses and works in our court operations.
Please visit www.3rdcc.org of follow our social media sites on LinkedIn, Facebook and X for further updates.