Principal Court Clerk - Criminal Records

Department: Criminal Records
County or State Funded: State
Exempt or Non-exempt: Non-exempt
Paygrade: S-20
Salary payrate: $18.42 hourly

Basic Function and Responsibility:

The principal court clerk position is highly responsible advanced work using an electronic filing system in a court within the Missouri State Court System. Work involves responsibility for court case processing which requires the application of independent judgment and the application of statutes, policies and regulations with minimal supervision. Work requires frequent interaction with the public providing exceptional customer service. Responsibilities also include preparing, analyzing, and timely dispatching of operational and financial reports within an automated case management system. Work may also involve assisting in the design, modification, and distribution of information, included in various reporting methods. This role may also involve exercising direct supervision over subordinate court personnel.

Appointing Authority and Supervision Received: 

The deputy court administrator of circuit court jury supervisor is the appointing authority.  The principal court clerk receives direct supervision from a court manager, chief court operations manager, judge or appointing authority. 

Supervision Exercised:

This position may be directly responsible for the supervision of court clerk, and senior court clerk staff.

Characteristic and Assigned Duties: (The following duties are representative of the position and do not include all duties which may be performed.)

• Performs case processing in receiving and initiating electronic case files; performs technical duties such as reviewing and processing judgments, grand jury indictments, preparing warrants and summonses, scheduling hearings, and data entry into the automated case management system for criminal cases.
• Reviews legal documents for necessary information required for filing; determines processing required and takes necessary action in accordance with court rules requiring a detailed knowledge of applicable terminology, rules, and procedures.
• Performs accounting duties in receiving monies, reconciles financial accounts, and prepares daily, weekly, and monthly financial reports.
• Provides information and customer assistance in person via telephone, email or other mediums (without giving legal advice) (i.e., pro se litigants, attorneys, reporters, law enforcement, other judicial agencies, co-workers, supervisors and judges).
• Prepares a variety of documents related to court operations including court orders, court calendars, notices of hearings, court appearances or reports, and coordinates the flow of documents necessary for court assignments; and properly queues electronically filed proceedings for processing.
• Contacts attorneys and other court personnel to resolve technical discrepancies with court filings.
• Works effectively with colleagues across different departments.
• May assign, direct, supervise, and coordinate the work of personnel of the office and may participate in the hiring process of such personnel.
• Answers procedural questions for staff.
• May coordinate, supervise or deliver training on procedural and/or technical matters.
• May serve as a lead on implementation of new technology, court procedures and other projects.
• Engages directly in complex tasks.
• Prepares, analyzes and/or supervises the preparation and timely dispatch of operational and financial reports as may be required or requested.
• Conduct research as required to meet department reporting analysis needs.
• Support reporting accuracy and assist in correcting identified inaccuracies.
• May participate in financial audit activities.
• Interacts with the public in a timely and courteous manner.
• Creates and processes copies of official legal documents.
• Enters orders, court dates, pleadings and other court matters.
• Assist appointing authorities or managers in the administration of time and attendance of employees and the distribution of workloads.
• Perform other duties as required.

Specific Examples of work:

Supervises a staff of seven (7) employees.  Assign work as needed; complete various reports; manage personnel records; train employees; create and/or update procedures.  Enter pertinent initial data and update data relating to areas of service and case activity; perform digital imaging of relative documents; answer inquiries from and provide information to the public, attorneys, staff, and others concerning case information; perform data entry.  Perform special projects and relate work as required; provide back-up for other supervisors as necessary.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: (This job description does not include specific physical requirements necessary to perform the job, such as, carrying, standing and lifting. Such requirements vary from position to position and may be determined by the appointing authority.)

• Comprehensive knowledge of court procedures and policies, legal documents, laws and legal factors pertaining to the court.
• Comprehensive knowledge of organization operations, functions and scope of authority of the court.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively while handling a high-volume workload in an environment subject to frequently changing priorities and high stress.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and make independent decisions in accordance with general policy and objectives.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing, in a tactful and courteous manner with diverse parties.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and follow oral and written instructions.
• Requires strong time management and organization skills with the ability to be detail oriented.
• Ability to recognize and troubleshoot employee relations issues and resolve or report issues as appropriate.
• Ability to plan, assign and supervise the work of subordinate employees engaged in a variety of activities.
• Ability to analyze and interpret complex sets of data, draw meaningful conclusions and communicate the results in an effective manner.
• Ability to maintain a variety of complex records and prepare reports from an automated system and other sources as required.

Minimum Qualifications: (Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis, provided a high school diploma or GED has been obtained.)

Associate’s Degree in a related field or at least 60 semester hours from an institution of higher learning and three years of varied administrative experience performing a wide range of technical office duties, one year of which in a supervisory capacity.

Necessary Special Requirement: 

All candidates selected for employment will be subject to background screenings as part of the hiring process.  Certain positions may also require additional checks, including but not limited to education verification, child abuse and neglect clearances, drug screenings, and physical assessments, as applicable to the responsibilities of the role. 

Employees May Be Exposed To: Evidence and testimony that may be disturbing, such as photographs of violent scenes and victims and or sexually explicit material; evidence that may include syringes, drugs, weapons and blood; the public who may potentially be verbally or physically abusive, allergens, such as perfumes and dust; and unpleasant odors, such as unwashed clothing or chemicals offered into evidence.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER