Rule 3.925 - Open Proceedings; Judgments and Orders; Records Confidentiality; Destruction of Court Records; Setting Aside Adjudications(A) Open Proceedings. (1) General. Except as provided in subrule (A)(2), juvenile proceedings on the formal calendar and preliminary hearings shall be open to the public.(2) Closed Proceedings; Criteria. The court, on motion of a party or a victim, may close the proceedings to the public during the testimony of a child or during the testimony of the victim to protect the welfare of either. In making such a determination, the court shall consider the nature of the proceedings; the age, maturity, and preference of the witness; and, if the witness is a child, the preference of a parent, guardian, or legal custodian that the proceedings be open or closed. The court may not close the proceedings to the public during the testimony of the juvenile if jurisdiction is requested under MCL 712A.2(a)(1).(B) Record of Proceedings. A record of all hearings must be made. All proceedings on the formal calendar must be recorded by stenographic recording or by mechanical or electronic recording as provided by statute or MCR 8.108. A plea of admission or no contest, including any agreement with or objection to the plea, must be recorded.(C) Judgments and Orders. The form and signing of judgments are governed by MCR 2.602(A)(1) and (2). Judgments and orders may be served on a person by first-class mail to the person's last known address, by e-mail under MCR 2.107(C)(4), or electronic service under MCR 1.109(G)(6)(a).(D) Public Access to Case File Records; Social File.(1) General. Records of a case brought before the court under Chapter XIIA of the Probate Code, MCL 712A.1 et seq., are only open to persons having a legitimate interest."Persons having a legitimate interest" includes, but is not limited to, the juvenile, the juvenile's parent, the juvenile's guardian or legal custodian, the juvenile's guardian ad litem, counsel for the juvenile, the department or a licensed child caring institution or child placing agency under contract with the department to provide for the juvenile's care and supervision if related to an investigation of child neglect or child abuse, law enforcement personnel, a prosecutor, a member of a local foster care review board established under 1984 PA 422, MCL 722.131 to 722.139a, the Indian child's tribe if the juvenile is an Indian child, and a court of this state.(2) Social Files. Confidential files are defined in MCR 3.903(A)(3) and include the social case file and those records in the legal case file made confidential by statute, court rule, or court order. Only persons who are found by the court to have a legitimate interest may be allowed access to the confidential files. In determining whether a person has a legitimate interest, the court shall consider the nature of the proceedings, the welfare and safety of the public, the interest of the minor, and any restriction imposed by state or federal law.(E)Retention and Destruction of Court Records. The court shall destroy its case files and other court records only as prescribed by the records retention and disposal schedule established under MCR 8.119(K). Destruction of a case record does not negate, rescind, or set aside an adjudication.
(F) Setting Aside Adjudications and Convictions.(1) Adjudications. The setting aside of juvenile adjudications is governed by MCL 712A.18e and MCL 712A.18t.(2) Convictions. The court may only set aside a conviction as provided by MCL 780.621et seq.(G) Access to Juvenile Offense Record of Convicted Adults. When the juvenile offense record of an adult convicted of a crime is made available to the appropriate agency, as provided in MCL 791.228(1), the record must state whether, with regard to each adjudication, the juvenile had an attorney or voluntarily waived an attorney.Rule 3.925 amended May 7, 2014, effective immediately; May 25, 2016, effective 1/1/2017; amended September 18, 2019, effective 1/1/2020; amended March 10, 2021, effective 3/24/2021.