What are your responsibilities as Clerk of Court?
The most common job duties are preparing dockets of cases, examining legal documents submitted to the court and documenting the receipt of said documents, completing office tasks as necessary, completing accurate and timely data entry, paying attention to detail, working closely with the solicitor and judge to make sure that court runs smoothly, preparing and issuing orders of the court, and providing customer service to the public, just to name a few.
What does a typical court day look like?
A typical arraignment court day would start with checking in defendants and pulling their case file. Once the case files are pulled, they are then placed in the solicitor’s box so that they can grab the file to speak with each defendant about their case. Once the defendant speaks with the solicitor, I will receive the file back to either do a reset on the case, a plea in front of the judge, or a request for a bench trial/jury trial.
How is court different in Tucker than in other places?
All courts run a little different, but ultimately, they have the same goal, which is to provide a fair and efficient adjudication of cases as well as provide equal protection to all to ensure due process of the law. Tucker Municipal Court has just started handling traffic court recently, so we are still working on a consistent and transparent court process. Tucker Municipal Court also has an Environmental Court, where all city code violations are heard. Some other cities/counties do not have environmental court, which makes us different.
What do you like most about your job?
I get to work with some amazing people and meet new people each day. I love being able to speak with others. I let them know everyone makes mistakes and not to let this mistake define who you are, let it teach you and grow from it. Hopefully, I can make a difference in their lives after speaking with them.
What is the biggest challenge you face in your job?
I would say the biggest challenge I face in my job is probably the same for any Clerk of Court at this time, which would be operating a safe, but efficient court during this pandemic.
OFF THE WALL
What are your favorite colors?
Hands down, orange and purple. I am a die-hard Clemson fan. I wear orange and purple whenever I can to support my favorite team. The only color I don’t wear is red.
Have any hidden talents?
I would say one of my hidden talents would be creativity. I am somewhat creative when it comes to projects and making gifts for others.
What do you do in your free time?
I like to attend/watch Clemson football games, relax by the pool and spend time with friends and family.
What shows are you currently streaming?
“Chicago P.D.”, “Chicago Med”, “Chicago Fire”, “Station 19”, “S.W.A.T.”, “Seal Team”, “For Life” and “All American”.
What is the best book you’ve ever read?
I am not a huge book reader, but I would have to say one of the best book series that I have read would be the “Twilight” series.
