Rule 3.926 - Transfer of Jurisdiction; Change of Venue(A) Definition. As used in MCL 712A.2, a child is "found within the county" in which the offense against the child occurred, in which the offense committed by the juvenile occurred, or in which the minor is physically present.(B) Transfer to County of Residence. When a minor is brought before the family division of the circuit court in a county other than that in which the minor resides, the court may request transfer of the case to the court in the county of residence before trial. The court shall not order transfer of the case until the court to which the case is to be transferred has granted the request to accept the transfer. (1) If both parents reside in the same county, or if the child resides in the county with a parent who has been awarded legal custody, a guardian, a legal custodian, or the child's sole legal parent, that county will be presumed to be the county of residence.(2) In circumstances other than those enumerated in subsection (1) of this section, the court shall consider the following factors in determining the child's county of residence: (a) The county of residence of the parent or parents, guardian, or legal custodian.(b) Whether the child has ever lived in the county, and, if so, for how long.(c) Whether either parent has moved to another county since the inception of the case.(d) Whether the child is subject to the prior continuing jurisdiction of another court.(e) Whether a court has entered an order placing the child in the county for the purpose of adoption.(f) Whether the child has expressed an intention to reside in the county.(g) Any other factor the court considers relevant.(3) If the child has been placed in a county by court order or by placement by a public or private agency, the child shall not be considered a resident of the county in which he or she has been placed, unless the child has been placed for the purpose of adoption.(C) Costs. When a court other than the court in a county in which the minor resides orders disposition, it will be responsible for any costs incurred in connection with such order unless(1) the court in the county in which the minor resides agrees to pay the costs of such disposition, or(2) the minor is made a state ward pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Services Act, MCL 803.301et seq., and the county of residence withholds consent to a transfer of the case.(D) Change of Venue; Grounds. The court, on motion by a party, may order a case to be heard before a court in another county:(1) for the convenience of the parties and witnesses, provided that a judge of the other court agrees to hear the case; or(2) when an impartial trial cannot be had where the case is pending. All costs of the proceeding in another county are to be borne by the court ordering the change of venue.
(E) Bifurcated Proceeding. If the judge of the transferring court and the judge of the receiving court agree, the case may be bifurcated to permit adjudication in the transferring court and disposition in the receiving court. The case may be returned to the receiving court immediately after the transferring court enters its order of adjudication.(F) Transfer of Records.(1) The transferring court must enter all necessary orders pertaining to the certification and transfer of the action to the receiving court. Where the courts have agreed to bifurcate the proceedings, the court adjudicating the case shall send any supplemented pleadings and other records to the court entering the disposition in the case.(2) The clerk of the court must prepare the case records for transfer in accordance with the orders entered under subrule (1) and the Michigan Trial Court Records Management Standards and send them to the receiving court by a secure method.(G) Designated Cases. Designated cases are to be filed in the county in which the offense is alleged to have occurred. Other than a change of venue for the purpose of trial, a designated case may not be transferred to any other county, except, after conviction, a designated case may be transferred to the juvenile's county of residence for entry of a juvenile disposition only. Sentencing of a juvenile, including delayed imposition of sentence, may only be done in the county in which the offense occurred.Amended September 18, 2019, effective 1/1/2020.