Deputy Clerk of Courts

Walworth County•Elkhorn, WI

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Deputy Clerk of Courts positions will be assigned a specific area of focus, such as Criminal, Civil and Probate. Each position will be responsible for researching and interpreting Wisconsin State Statutes relevant to that focus. These roles involve creating and maintaining all Walworth County court files, exhibits, and court records. This position acts as a lead worker to the departments Administrative Clerks.

Requirements

High School plus two additional years of formal preparation and two to three years of relevant experience; or some formal preparation with a minimum of four years of directly related legal experience.
Proven experience in ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Proven experience in legal terminology.

Nice To Haves

Formal Walworth County Electronic Application
Education & Experience Review
Oral Department Interview
Reference Check
Background Check
Post Offer Physical Exam
Drug Screen
Other job related tests may be required.

Responsibilities

Comprehend all Wisconsin statutes that pertain to assigned division, along with others that pertain to the office/courts.
Be prepared to back up other divisions within the office and have working knowledge of the applicable Wisconsin statutes of those divisions.
Ensure the quality and accuracy of the court files by having specific knowledge of federal, state, and local statutes and rules and thereby be able to identify errors, discrepancies, and improperly filed documents and recognize documents missing or not recorded or scanned into the case file.
Access, enter, and retrieve data ensuring accuracy and validity of information on specialized Circuit Court Automation Project (CCAP).
Determine the correct case type and required filing fee for all new case filings.
Open new cases and assign to proper Court Official.
Determine if the file needs to be routed to a Court Official for immediate review of if a future review date is needed.
Accurately enter the final disposition for all case types including financial assessments, criminal sentences, civil judgments or other conditions that may apply.
Ensure court records are available for the judges and provide the proper records to the Court upon request.
Identify and locate relevant case information, organize case files ensuring information is organized and easily accessible for the judge.
Review paperwork submitted for filing to ensure completeness and accuracy.
Process both paper documents and electronic documents, doing routine tasks such as data entry, organization, cross-referencing, scanning, copying, and retrieval.
Ensure proper security classifications are applied to each case type.
Determine proper routing of all documents through e-filing.
Maintain all files to include exhibits.
Follow office procedures for maintenance of files and exhibits including contraband, weapons, drugs, and currency.
Store exhibits during and upon completion of trial and maintain accountability for the exhibits and files being used by their division.
Develop and maintain a high level of trust with the judges/commissioners.
Ensure the smooth and adequate flow of information between the Judge and other Clerk of Courts staff.
Draft basic legal documents to be routed to the Judge for review and signature.
Process necessary paperwork for those cases in which a Request for Substitution of Judge or when a judge recuses.
Schedule all hearings for the court.
Provide accurate calendar management including scheduling of court hearings, trials, conferences, legal appointments, and provide all necessary information for scheduling conferences.
Generate notices of hearings for upcoming hearings.
Ability to handle multi-trial schedules, speedy demands for defendants incarcerated, and prioritize the schedules for the judges/commissioners.
Prepare the daily court calendar.
Monitor all case files in assigned division; schedule for the appropriate handling and disposal of all cases in a timely manner.
Clerk all types of hearings: Take concise minutes as required by Section 59.40, Wis. Stats.
Administer oath to interpreters, witnesses, jurors, and bailiffs.
Mark and maintain exhibits.
Ensure that all the courtroom equipment, video, audio, monitors, and other items are working and ready for use.
Provide attorneys/parties with necessary paperwork during/following the court hearing.
Identify hearings/trials that require higher security needs.
Communicate with Court Security to ensure coverage based on need/risk/type of hearing.
Monitor and manage cases scheduled for jury trials.
Determine the panel size needed for trial and take into consideration special requirements necessary for high-profile cases and lengthy trials.
Make the necessary arrangements for jury meals.
Work with management to arrange transportation or lodging as warranted by the trial.
Process and monitor cases involving out-of-county judges.
Schedule and clerk cases specifically assigned to out-of-county judges.
Transfer cases in which venue has changed.
Open and process new cases being transferred to Walworth County on a change of venue.
Receive and process appeals from Municipal Court to Circuit Court to the Circuit Court.
Prepare and process appeals on all case types within the division to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
Track appeals for statistical purposes.
Process judgements as required by statutes.
Recognize bankruptcy pleadings and ensure timely processing of bankruptcy notices filed with the Court.
Receipt all payments and apply appropriately to existing assessments.
Ability to differentiate between DOC and COC assessments.
Track final billings from Court Appointed Attorneys and Guardians ad Litem
Prepare Daily Deposits as assigned.
Close and balance cash drawers at the end of each business day.
Prepare month end in accordance with Wisconsin Statutes and County Procedures as assigned.
Understand and follow Wisconsin Statutes as they relate to review and release of confidential records
Handle confidential documents ensuring they remain secure pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes.
Maintain an orderly workflow according to priorities.
Responding to customer inquiries both in person and on the phone regarding court processes and managing court records.
Interact with the public, in a tactful and courteous manner while providing quality customer service.
Establish and maintain effective, professional, positive, and respectful working relationships and communicates internally, with other County Departments/Divisions, clients/customers, outside agencies, and the general public.
Cross train on procedures used in other areas/divisions and serve as back up as assigned.