Municipal Court - Court Clerk I

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Under the general direction of the Division Manager – Municipal Court, this position involves performing a variety of duties to support the Municipal Court. These duties include posting, balancing, and verifying basic financial records, processing documents, coordinating the scheduling of cases, performing other tasks as outlined in city ordinances, and providing assistance to the public.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

The Court Clerk I position exercises no supervision. The Court Clerk II/III may function in a supervisory capacity.

IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Court Clerk I

Assist with various office operations and functions, including administering oaths, processing traffic and city ordinance violations, handling parking citations, and compiling data.

Process court documents.

Prepare transcripts of cases, appeals and other information upon request; submit reports to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Prepare summons, subpoenas, complaints, and warrants for arrest as necessary.

Process legal documents and prepare certified copies of records as necessary.

Communicate in person, by phone, and correspondence with inquiries. Provide information and expedite court procedures.

Explain, interpret and implement new laws, policies and procedures. Maintain court records in accordance with city ordinance and state laws. Stays informed on new laws impacting Class C misdemeanors and traffic laws.

Promote and maintain positive relations with city officials, judges, attorneys, other agencies, and the public.

Court Clerk II

Perform complex tasks of the municipal court over which responsibility is exercised. Respond to complex complaints and requests for information on regulations, policies and procedures for the court, and resolve citizen conflicts and problems.

Manage criminal proceeding and docketing. Oversee processing deferrals, judgments, probation, pre-sentence matters, failure to appear, warrant and other related processing.

Supervise and train Court Clerks on new court software procedures.

Court Clerk III

Provide support to the Division Manager – Municipal Court. Plan and organize workloads and staff assignments. Work with employees to correct deficiencies and review progress and direct changes as needed.

Manage and supervise the receipts, depositing and accounting of monies for fines, forfeitures and other court receipts.

Assist records management functions and the filing of all papers, dockets, case files and case related correspondence.

OTHER JOB-RELATED DUTIES

Perform other job-related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

Office practices, methods, and computer equipment.

Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Basic Math skills.

Class C Misdemeanors, traffic laws and city ordinances.

Skill to:

Provide exceptional customer service and phone etiquette.

Effectively handle cash transactions.

Type at least forty-five (45) words per minute with 90% accuracy for successful job performance.

Operate office equipment including a personal computer, MS Word, Excel and Google Docs.

Learn and effectively utilize Court software.

Ability to:

Prepare and maintain accurate records and generate clear and concise reports.

Perform accurate computations and calculations.

Retain all court procedures, city ordinances and state legislative laws and updates.

Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, both internally and externally.

Follow and embrace the City of Abilene Core Values – Respect, Integrity, Service Above Self, and Excellence in All We Do.

Perform as a team member in a manner that accomplishes the Division’s mission and treats team members with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Court Clerk II/III

Ability to:

Lead, manage, and perform as a team member in a manner that accomplishes the Division’s mission and treats team members with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Experience and Training Guidelines:

For positions with more than one level, all listed requirements at the lower levels are required at the higher levels. Any combination equivalent to experience and training to provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be qualifying. Knowledge, skills, and abilities may be obtained through:

Court Clerk I

Experience:

Three (3) years of cash handling and customer service experience is required.

Education/Training:

A high school diploma or a GED is required.

License or Certificate:

Court Clerk Level I certification is preferred.

A valid Texas driver’s license, the ability to obtain one within ninety (90) days of employment, or a military waiver is preferred.

Court Clerk II

Experience:

Three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience, preferably in court operations and including some supervisory experience is required.

License or Certificate:

Court Clerk Level I certification is required.

Court Clerk III

Experience:

Six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience, preferably in court operations and including some supervisory experience is required.

Education/Training:

A Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a closely related field from an accredited college or university, or any equivalent combination of education and experience with relevant work experience is required.

License or Certificate:

Court Clerk Level II certification is required.

Special Requirements:

Essential duties require the following physical skills and work environment:

Work in a standard office environment.

Must pass an Office Skills, Reading Comprehension, Data Entry 10 key, and general typing tests.

With or without accommodation, the “X” indicates the overall strength demand of the position during a typical workday:

___ Sedentary – lifting of no more than 10 pounds

___ Light – lifting no more than 20 pounds; carrying up to 10 pounds

_ X _ Medium – lifting no more than 50 pounds; carrying up to 25 pounds

___ Heavy – lifting no more than 100 pounds; carrying up to 50 pounds

___ Very Heavy – team lifting over 100 pounds; carrying more than 50 pounds

Physical Demand Codes: The following describes whether or not the position is expected to exert the physical demands listed during a typical workday as well as the overall frequency of the task:

Codes for how often:

N = No

E = Extensive (100 – 70% of the time)

M = Moderate (60 – 30% of the time)

I = Infrequent (20 – 10% of the time)

A = Almost Never (<10% of the time)

Code / Task

_ M _ Standing

_ E _ Sitting

_ M _ Walking

_ I _ Lifting

_ I _ Carrying

_ I _ Pushing/Pulling

_ A _ Overhead Work

_ A _ Fine Dexterity

_ M _ Kneeling

_ M _ Crouching

_ A _ Crawling

_ M _ Bending

_ I _ Twisting

_ A _ Climbing

_ E_ Balancing

_ E _ Vision

_ E _ Hearing

_ E _ Talking

___ Other: _____________________