Judge Susan L. Dobrich announced that, for the third year in a row, people say they are satisfied with their experiences in the Cass County Courts.

Using a survey that was administered in courts statewide, court officials asked visitors questions about their level of satisfaction with local court services.

Across the board, court users said that the Cass County Courts were accessible, timely, fair, and that users were treated with courtesy and respect.

“Public input is vitally important because court users can help us make critical management decisions to improve the efficiency of court operations,” Dobrich said. “Getting positive marks for three years in a row shows how hard our team is working at the Cass County Courts.”

Highlights from all the surveys given in Circuit, Family/Probate and District Courts include:

• 97 percent of court users said they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff;

• 93 percent of court users said the way the judge or magistrate handled their ease was fair; and,

• 91 percent of courts users were able to get their business done in a reasonable amount of time.

“Public satisfaction is a critical measure of the success of court operations,” said Court Administrator Carol Montavon Bealor. “We depend on a wide range of performance measures to help us boost efficiency and improve service to the public.”

Developed with input from judges and court administrators statewide and tabulated by the State Court Administrative Office, the survey enables courts to identify strengths, provide positive feedback to employees, and target areas for improvement.

The survey was completed by a range of court users, including parties to cases attorneys, jurors, and others.

The public satisfaction survey is part of a statewide initiative of the Michigan Supreme Court and the State Court Administrative Office to measure and report on court performance. In 2013 and 2014, a total of nearly 50,000 surveys were completed in courts throughout Michigan.

Visit www.courts.rmi.gov for more.