The legal system in the United States includes various local, state, and federal courts. Within each state, federal courts have jurisdiction over some types of cases specified in the Constitution and some that are determined by Congress. The Michigan Federal Courts have jurisdiction over Michigan

Today, federal courts hear criminal cases involving federal crimes, civil cases alleging a violation of federal law, suits between people who live in different states that involve more than $75,000 at stake, and certain types of bankruptcy and intellectual property matters.

To improve efficiency, Congress has divided the state of Michigan – with a population of nearly 10 million in 2016 – into two judicial districts. The Eastern District includes the Detroit metropolitan area, while the Western District covers Michigan’s less densely populated counties in the western part of the state.

The Eastern District of Michigan is composed of 15 judges and an additional 14 senior judges who are semi-retired but still occasionally hear cases. Of the 15 current judges, seven were appointed by President Barack Obama, four by President Bill Clinton, three by President George W. Bush, and one by President George H.W. Bush.

While the Eastern District is based at the Detroit Federal Building in downtown Detroit, court can also be held in Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron.

In the less densely populated Western District of Michigan, there are four current judges and one senior judge. Three of the currently serving judges were appointed by President George W. Bush, while the other judge was appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

In the Western District, the primary federal courthouse is located in Grand Rapids. However, court can also be held in Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Sault Sainte Marie, and Traverse City.

Appeals from decisions reached by judges in either federal court district in Michigan are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which is based in Cincinnati.

Many citizens are interested in obtaining Michigan federal courts records in Michigan and around the country. Records may contain interesting information about criminal cases and prosecutions, the details of civil proceedings, transcripts of hearings and trials, and the judge’s final decisions.

Under federal law, court records are available to the public except in some very limited circumstance, such as if the records contain classified information. They can be obtained in person at any federal courthouse or online, using the federal government’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system.