Honorable Leo Bowman

In order to better serve the attorneys and litigants appearing in Judge Bowman's courtroom, we have adopted the following guidelines.  Please advise your clients and staff so that there are no misunderstandings.

Location

Orders Presented for Judge's Signature

Motion Practice

Summary Disposition Motions

Trials

Appeals

Courtroom Decorum

Location

Fourth Floor - East Wing, Courtroom 4C

Telephone: 248-452-2005

Back To Top

Orders Presented for Judge's Signature

• Signatures: Original signatures must appear on all orders. Clients and Attorneys must both sign orders (if applicable).
• True Copies: The court will process four true copies of each order signed, or as many true copies as there are parties, whichever is greater.
• Returning Orders: True copies of orders will be mailed if a self-addressed stamped envelope is provided with the order. If an envelope is not attached, true copies will be held for five business days. Because of space constraints, orders cannot be held for a longer period. If orders are not picked up, the original order will be filed and the true copies will be discarded.
• Alternate Service Orders and Orders for Second Summons: Orders requesting alternate service must include a motion, an official post office verification of the party’s legal address, and affidavit of at least three prior service attempts.  Alternate service orders will not be signed without all of the above requirements.  Orders for second summons will not be signed without good cause.  If a summons is expired, a motion must be filed and set upon the Court’s motion call docket.  

Back To Top

Motion Practice

• Check-In Procedure: Motions are heard at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday mornings. Hearing dates are set by the moving party. Check-in for motion call begins at 8:30 a.m. No one will be allowed to check in later than 9:30 a.m. Due to the volume of motions that are scheduled, all motions must be ready to be heard, with all parties present in the courtroom no later than 11:30 a.m. Parties and their counsel are to meet with the Friend of the Court (if appropriate) prior to going before the Judge.
• Judge's Copy of Motions and Briefs: A judges copy of the motion must be delivered to the chambers no later than the end of the day on the Wednesday before the scheduled hearing date.  Responses must be delivered to the Judges office no later than noon on the Friday before the scheduled hearing date. Judge Bowman will not consider a response filed later than noon Friday before the scheduled hearing date. The Judge reviews all motions and responses prior to hearing.  (Note: Judge Bowman’s chambers cannot guarantee receipt of pleadings left in the County Clerks Office).
• Adjourning Motions
  Judge Bowmans chambers must be notified by the moving party when a motion is being adjourned.  MCR 2.119(E)(4)(b) states, Unless excused by the Court, the moving party must appear at a hearing on the motion.  A moving party who fails to appear is subject to assessment of costs under subrule (E)(4)(c); in addition, the Court may assess a penalty not to exceed $100, payable to the Clerk of the Court."
  If chambers is not notified, by phone or in person, by 4:00 p.m. the Tuesday prior to a scheduled motion that the praecipe is being dismissed, adjourned or settled, the Court Rule shall be considered violated and costs will be assessed against the moving party.  Notice is not considered proper by filing a re-praecipe with the Clerk's office only. Motions may only be adjourned a total of two times. Thereafter, the motion must be updated and refiled. Due to storage limitations, if you reschedule your motion, you will need to file new judges' copies of the pleadings. All judges' copies will be discarded after motion call.
• Late Filed Praecipes: Praecipes must be filed timely and accurately in order to have your motion placed on the docket. No add-ons are accepted.  
• Request for Evidentiary Hearing: If an issue involves a factual dispute, a motion must be filed in order to request an evidentiary hearing before the judge.

Back To Top

Summary Disposition Motions

• Motions for summary disposition are scheduled pursuant to separate, independent scheduling directives.  Praecipes relating to summary disposition motions must indicate that the hearing date will be scheduled by a date determined by the Court and must be accompanied by the moving party's motion and brief. To ensure timeliness, parties should submit the most recent scheduling order of the Court demonstrating that no motion cut-off date has precluded the filing of the motion.  Parties are encouraged to file summary disposition motions well in advance of their despositive motion cut off date in order to ensure availability on the Court’s docket.
• Summary disposition motion dates are scheduled by Monifa Gray, the Judicial Staff Attorney, who can be contacted at 248-452-2005.
• The Court relies on MCR 2.116 for briefing schedules of all summary disposition motions.  The Court does not issue independent briefing schedules for summary disposition motions.

Back To Top

Trials

• Adjournments: ANY and ALL adjournments must be requested via motion.  The court does not accept stipulated orders of adjournment, no exceptions.
• Consent Judgments: The Court requires all civil settlement agreements to be put on the record.  All parties must be present.
• Jury Instructions: A stipulated set of jury instructions must be submitted to the court no later than seven days prior to trial.  Any disputed instructions must be clearly marked and also submitted seven days prior to trial. 
• Voir Dire: All proposed voir dire questions 

Back To Top

Appeals

• Judges copies of appeals MUST be delivered to the judges’ chambers.

Back To Top

Courtroom Decorum

• Anyone appearing in courtroom must be dressed appropriately. Those dressed inappropriately risk having their case not heard or be removed from the courtroom.  If you have any questions, please see a clerk.
• Cell phones, pagers or any electronic devices with an alert notice must be turned off prior to entering the courtroom.  Any cell phone that rings while court is in session will be confiscated immediately and will become property of the court.
• Please be advised that all media requests must be received AT LEAST three days in advance.

Back To Top