Court Clerk/Juvenile Case Manager

City of Watauga•Watauga, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Under general supervision, provides a variety of municipal court services to the general public. This role involves extensive customer service, record maintenance, and specialized case management for juvenile and minor offenders. The position requires a strong understanding of legal procedures, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent
Two (2) years of customer service experience
Must possess certification as a Certified Level Court Clerk within two (2) years of employment and maintain that level of certification or higher for the duration of employment in this position.
Must be able to obtain a commission as a Notary Public within six (6) months of initial employment.
Applicant must pass a Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) fingerprint-based background check and maintain CJIS eligibility.
Knowledge of City organization, operations, policies, and procedures.
Knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines.
Knowledge of the legal system.
Knowledge of Code of Judicial Conduct.
Knowledge of Transportation Code.
Knowledge of Penal Codes.
Knowledge of principles and practices of effective customer service.
Knowledge of Texas Local Government Codes.
Knowledge of applicable policies, procedures, and regulations covering specific areas of assignment.
Knowledge of business and personal computers, and spreadsheet software applications.
Skill in handling situations requiring diplomacy, fairness, firmness, and sound judgment.
Skill in understanding and applying relevant policies and procedures.
Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with various City departments, external government agencies, attorneys, schools, suppliers, vendors, and the general public.
Skill in operating a personal computer and financial software programs.
Skill in communicating effectively both verbally and in writing.

Nice To Haves

Certified Level I Court Clerk, preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide customer service to citizens, defendants, parents of defendants, and other parties by phone, email, and in person, including answering questions, taking payments, setting court dates, data entry, preparing payment plans, receiving documents, and filing appropriately.
Receive payments and provide receipts for court fines and fees, as well as cash bond payments, in the form of cash, check money order, and credit card in person, by mail, online, or by phone.
Balance cash drawer daily.
Prepare and maintain all court records, both paper and electronic, and related files by preparing documents for court, processing judgments and dispositions, and entering case information into a court software system.
Prepare and maintain Court dockets, as needed.
Review court files for compliance with the judge’s orders.
Generate correspondence and documents for defendants related to court case files, including court summons, letters, hearing notices, etc.
Uploads, imports, and processes new citations/complaints from the Police, Animal Control, and Code Enforcement staff, as needed.
Respond to customer inquiries and complaints.
Regularly review work for accuracy and completeness.
Advise defendants of their rights and basic judicial procedures.
Process incoming/outgoing mail, including payments, bonds, time-served requests, and other correspondence.
Assist judge, prosecutor, attorneys/lawyers, and court personnel, as needed.
Prepare, compile, and maintain various public resources, such as the Municipal Court webpage.
Provide work guidance to Court volunteers and at City special events.
May serve in the absence of the Senior Court Clerk.
Responsible for all juvenile and minor court records.
Provide a pre-sentence assessment of the juvenile’s needs and risk levels by gathering information relating to education, and social and family histories and provides the information to the Municipal Judge.
Schedule and prepare juvenile cases for hearings and maintain all records of the court, including DPS suspension records.
Educate and inform juvenile defendants and their parents with referrals for needed services such as counseling or treatment centers.
Monitor programs and compliance of juveniles and minors in programs.
Maintain all school violations including truancy, failure to attend school, and parental non-compliance violations.
Maintain all community service contacts and mandatory classes for drug, tobacco, and alcohol defendants.
Serve as the liaison between the Watauga Municipal Court and The North Tarrant Teen Court for all cases sent to Teen Court.
Manage the case flow between the two entities.
May perform other duties as assigned.