District court now makes it easier to conduct business, thanks to the Internet

By Mike Murphy
Special to The Review
Hamtramck’s 31st District Court last week launched a website designed to save time and effort when it comes to taking care of court matters.
Visitors to www.31stdistrictcourt.net can find out quite a bit on the site, which offers information on court policies and jury duty, and also links to other sites carrying legal information.
The site also provides the public with downloadable court forms, current fine and fee amounts, and an online payments category to pay court fines without having to leave home.
“A lot of people pay bills online,” said Chief Judge Paul J. Paruk. “And if there is a way to save people time from coming down to court that is awesome.”
Paruk said everything about the site is designed to make it easier and more convenient for court users and the general public.
“This website is another step towards the Court’s goal of being as user-friendly as possible. The motivation behind the website is to provide court-users with a method for conducting court business 24/7, even when the physical location is closed,” Paruk said.
The site also contains links to other sites that will provide information to people looking for legal resources that will help them find an attorney or provide them with information on how to handle court matters without an attorney. In addition, the site provides access to the Michigan Legislative Website for information on current Michigan legislation.
There are also plans in the works to have the site do much more, Paruk said.
Paruk envisions that the site will soon have the capability to display daily court dockets and schedules so residents and court users can access information about what the court is doing on a day-to-day basis.
Paruk said that minor traffic violations may eventually be settled online, through the website.
“There are one or two communities doing that, and we’re waiting to see the results,” Paruk said. “Of course, we won’t be able to do this with a jury trial or a complicated case.”
The website came into being largely through the efforts of Court Administrator Benjamin Ruby and Court Clerk Ty’ana McTaw, Paruk said.
“We’re excited and we’re very proud,” Paruk said. “They should be applauded for their efforts because they spent a lot of time and did a very good job on it.”