(a) Counties and Places of Holding Court. Except as provided in LR 83.11, civil cases arising in or related to one or more of the following counties shall be assigned as provided in (b):

(1) Genesee, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Washtenaw and Wayne counties for which the places of holding court are Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint and Port Huron.

(2) Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Bay, Cheboygan, Clare, Crawford, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Iosco, Isabella, Midland, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Saginaw and Tuscola counties for which the place of holding court is Bay City.

(b) Assignment of Cases. Civil cases shall be assigned by the Clerk to a place of holding court by reference to the counties in (a) in the following order of priority:

(1) If an action is removed from State Court, the county in which the case was pending in State Court (28U.S.C. 1441(a)).

(2) If an action is local in nature, the county in which the real estate is located.

(3) The county in which a plaintiff resides.

(4) The county in which the claim arose.

(5) In a case in which a defendant is an officer or employee of the United States or any agency thereof acting in his or her official capacity, or under color of legal authority, or an agency of the United States, the county in which an office of a defendant is located.

(6) A county in which a defendant resides or has a place of business.

(7) The place of holding court in which the case is filed.

(c) Improper Assignments. A case improperly assigned to a place of holding court shall be transferred to the proper location by order of the Court.

October 01, 2003