Court Support Services Jury Assistant

City of Columbus Careers•Columbus, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Franklin County Municipal Court is the largest and busiest municipal Court in the State of Ohio. The Court has fourteen judges in the General Division and one judge in the Environmental Division. Judges preside over civil, criminal, and traffic cases and conduct both jury and court trials. The Court's jurisdiction includes traffic cases, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil cases where the amount at issue is $15,000 or less. The Environmental Division has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce local codes and regulations affecting real property, such as fire and building codes. The geographic jurisdiction of the Court is all of Franklin County and those portions of the City of Columbus that extend beyond the boundaries of Franklin County. Despite its jurisdiction and name, the Franklin County Municipal Court is the judicial branch of the City of Columbus government. The Court Services Jury Assistant (CSJA) will be shared among court departments, including Court Support and the Jury Office. The employee may be stationed at multiple locations throughout the Court, depending on their assigned tasks. The Jury Office is responsible for all jury-related activity for the Franklin County Municipal Court, which is accomplished by following office guidelines, as well as maintaining compliance with jury management standards and rules as may be approved or mandated by the Supreme Court of Ohio, the judges of the Franklin County Municipal Court, and state or federal law. The CSJA is responsible for providing professional clerical, receptionist, and secretarial services and for managing the flow of paperwork in and out of the Jury Office. This employee also assists the Jury Commissioner with daily operations and performs the Jury Commissioner's duties and responsibilities in their absence. The CSJA works in cooperation with the judges, their bailiffs, Court Administration, the Common Pleas Court Jury Office, the Clerk's Office, the City Auditor's Office, potential jurors, jurors, places of employment of jurors, and attorneys. The Court Services staff assists defendants in obtaining the withdrawal of issued warrants; extensions of time for the enforcement of fines, costs, and/or jail sentences; judicial approval for participation in the time payment program; issuance or modification of limited driving privileges; and continuances of court dates. This position will also interact with judges, court personnel, defendants, attorneys, law enforcement, and the public. Additionally, this role will support clerical tasks related to the Court's forensic psychological caseload.

Requirements

A high school diploma or equivalent.
Knowledge of and two to three years of office management experience, including an understanding of office practices, procedures, and equipment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office products such as Word, Outlook, and Excel.
Proficiency in public speaking.
Ability to type with speed and accuracy.
Ability to read and copy records precisely, arrange items alphabetically or numerically, sort items into categories according to established methods, and complete routine forms.
Ability to lift 10 - 20 pounds and perform moderate cleaning.
Highly organized, extremely detail-oriented, and able to produce error-free work.
Ability to manage various tasks simultaneously in a high-pressure atmosphere under sometimes severe time constraints.
Ability to communicate verbally, effectively, professionally, and in writing to individuals and groups of diverse audiences.
Ability to interact and maintain effective working relationships with judges, employees, members of the public, and other stakeholders conducting business with the Court.
Conscious of and sensitive to the diversity within the Court's jurisdiction and ability to interact professionally with this diverse population of people from various geographic, socioeconomic, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds regularly.
Professional appearance and demeanor appropriate for the position and the work environment expected of a representative of the Court.
Ability to manage jurors and assist them with working and interacting effectively under the supervision of the Jury Commissioner.
Demonstrate dependability, reliability, and an excellent attendance record.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree, paralegal certification, or other advanced schooling in a related field
Understanding of legal terminology and procedures
Five years of experience in office management
Previous experience as a legal secretary or in a court system or legal environment
Knowledge of the functions and locations of other courts and government agencies, an understanding of mental health, addiction, or forensic psychology
Knowledge regarding mental health and the law
The ability to speak and write Spanish or other languages commonly used by the residents of Franklin County, Ohio
Proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL)

Responsibilities

Assist in preparation of the jury assembly room before jurors' arrival (requires some moderate cleaning and lifting to 10 – 20 lbs.).
Assist in summoning jurors for specific reporting dates by using Jury Systems Incorporated (JSI), the Court's jury system software, printer, and folder/sealer.
Assist in the calculation processes to ensure the proper number of jurors are summoned.
Assist in data collection regarding juror yield, postponements, etc.
Receive phone calls and review letters from members of the public who have been summoned for jury duty; answer questions and help with problem-solving; retrieve messages from voicemail; call individuals and employers as needed; and note discussions in the comment section of the jury system software.
Note in the Court's jury system software any qualified reschedule(s) or excuse(s).
Send confirmation letters promptly to jurors who have been rescheduled or excused.
Prepare all forms, handouts, and badges for each term of jury service.
Greet jurors reporting for jury duty, check them in each day using the Court's jury system software.
Assist jurors with personal time conflicts.
Enter all information provided by the jurors into the Court's jury system software.
Prepare all lists needed for the term of service.
Maintain contact with bailiffs, secretaries, and judges by phone, email, and in person regarding the need for jury trials.
Excuse jurors for the day when appropriate.
When a jury trial is needed, enter the case information into the jury software system; request a random selection of jurors via the software; print courtroom lists and juror profiles; label the lists for appropriate parties and assemble all paperwork as necessary for the bailiff; assist the bailiff in moving jurors to the courtroom for voir dire; and assist the bailiff with juror management throughout the trial.
When voir dire is complete, prepare a final jury list showing jurors impaneled, excused, and unreached.
Prepare address lists of impaneled jurors upon the judge's request.
After the trial, return all jurors to the pool using the Court's jury system software, close out the case in the software, and prepare and e-file the jury costs to the Clerk's Office.
Prepare, print, and distribute a certificate of service to each juror. Print and distribute any requested work certificates.
Once the jurors' term of service has ended, complete their service via the Court's jury system software; prepare their payroll via the software, which electronically sends it to the City Auditor's Office; and send email notifications to all necessary parties.
Print and mail failure-to-appear letters.
After dismissing all jurors for the day, secure the jury assembly room, which requires moderate cleaning and light lifting (10 – 20 lbs.).
Compile an ongoing list of office supplies and order as needed.
Assist the Jury Commissioner as needed.
Ascertain issues presented by defendants, investigate the case by reviewing the computerized docket and/or physical case file, gather all appropriate information, retrieve the physical case file, deliver it to the courtroom, and direct defendants to the proper courtroom.
Work collaboratively with other Court Services staff to provide excellent customer service. Collaborative efforts may require training for new Court Services staff.
Communicate with a variety of individuals concerning vehicle sanctions.
Consult with the Court Support Manager to learn and apply new state statutes and city ordinances impacting vehicle sanctions.
Receive and review court entries regarding vehicle sanctions and process all related information using databases such as OHLEG, OBMV, and Courtview to verify and supply data.
Maintain accurate records of all office activities.
May be assigned to other duties in other departments of the Court if needed.
Gather and copy records from various sources to create case files for the forensic psychological caseload.
Track, compile, and analyze data associated with the forensic psychological caseload.
Complete assigned clerical functions to ensure timely and accurate case flow.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Prescription insurance
Vision insurance
Dental insurance
Life insurance
Short-term disability
Generous vacation leave
Generous sick leave
Generous personal leave
11 paid holidays
Longevity service payments
Sick-leave reciprocity
Employee assistance programs
Deferred-compensation programs
Tuition reimbursement
Credit-union membership
Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) membership, which provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits
Employer pays the required 14 percent of the employee's salary to OPERS
No Social Security taxes withheld from paychecks