Overview
The Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System (MAACS) administers the system for appointing criminal appellate counsel in all Michigan circuit courts, from a roster of private attorneys and the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO). Approximately 75% of indigent felony appeals are assigned to the MAACS roster, while approximately 25% of cases are assigned to SADO.
In Administrative Order 2014-18, the Michigan Supreme Court consolidated MAACS with SADO for management purposes.
About MAACS
Minimum Standards - Effective January 1, 2005, with September 20, 2023, MAACS Comments
MAACS Regulations - Effective September 20, 2017, Amended September 20, 2023
Administrative Orders (Nos. 1981-7, 1989-3, 2004-6, 2014-18, 2014-18 amended, 2015-9, 2015-9 extension, 2017-3)
Annual Reports
Contact MAACS
Bradley R. Hall, Administrator
200 N. Washington Sq., Suite 250
Lansing, MI 48913
Phone: (517) 334-1200
bhall@sado.org
MAACS Staff (view directory here)
Jonathan Sacks, Director, jsacks@sado.org
Bradley R. Hall, Administrator, bhall@sado.org
Patricia Maceroni, Deputy Administrator, pmaceroni@sado.org
Stephanie Farkas, Litigation Support Counsel, sfarkas@sado.org
MariaRosa J. Palmer, Assignment and Office Manager, mrpalmer@sado.org
Terry Huhn, Assignment Coordinator, thuhn@sado.org
Sabrina Schneider, Roster Coordinator, sschneider@sado.org
Emily Swanson, Mitigation Specialist, eswanson@sado.org
Joshua Pease, Youth Defense Project Director, jpease@sado.org
Uniform Attorney Fees and Regional Assignment Lists
Historically, MAACS has maintained a separate list of eligible roster attorneys for each of Michigan's 57 felony trial courts, and attorney participation on these local lists has depended largely on the unique attorney fee policies adopted by each court.
In September 2015, the Supreme Court authorized a pilot project to measure the feasibility, costs, and benefits of structural reforms to this system that would enhance the speed and efficiency of assignments, consolidate assignment lists by region, and standardize attorney fee policies between trial courts. After launching with 14 trial courts in the Upper Peninsula and Eastern Lower Michigan, the pilot grew to include 32 courts from all corners of the state. In November 2017, the Supreme Court permanently approved these structural changes, allowing MAACS to continue its efforts to regionalize all assignment lists and encourage trial courts to adopt uniform fee policies.
- Updates in Store for Michigan's Indigent Appellate Defense System (October 2015)
- MAACS Issues First-Year Report on Regional Pilot Project (January 2017)
- MAACS Concludes Two-Year Pilot Project to Standard Fees and Improve Efficiency (December 2017)
- Pilot Project First-Year Report and Call for Expansion (October 2016)
- Pilot Project and Case Assignment System Final Report (September 2017)
MAACS in the News
"Attorneys get better pay, more oversight in State Program"
Lansing State Journal, December 5, 2016 (PDF)
"Innovative Appellate Investigation Project Launched"
Detroit Legal News, January 27, 2016 (PDF)
"Katherine Marcuz on the Appellate Investigation Project"
Detroit Legal News, March 31, 2016 (PDF)
"A sidebar with . . . Kathryn R. Swedlow"
Michigan Lawyers Weekly, May 9, 2016
"Attorney helps patch up Assigned Counsel System"
Detroit Legal News, May 11, 2015 (PDF)
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For more information, visit the links on the right or below:
