Role of the Clerk
The Clerk of Superior Court is a Constitutional Officer, meaning the position was created by act of the Legislature in the state constitution, and has been a county constitutional officer since the framers of the Georgia Constitution of 1798 provided for election of the Clerk of Superior Court in each of Georgia’s counties.
The Clerk is the person responsible for protecting the integrity of public records and serves as the Court’s fiduciary. The Clerk receives, manages, and processes all court documents, collects and disburses all court fees, fines, and costs, and provides the public with access to court records. As keeper of public records, the Clerk records deeds, mortgages, charters, and commissions notaries public. In effect, the Clerk runs the “business arm” of the local court system and answers first and foremost to the public, ensuring the public’s interests protected.
As an elected public official in each of Georgia’s 159 counties, the Clerk of Superior Court is an important check and balance within the county government and judicial system. Citizens’ case files, court records, property deeds, and mortgages are handled and protected by the Clerk, an impartial officer elected directly by and answerable to the people of the county, and is not an employee or appointee of any county commission or judiciary.
Although elected to be your Clerk of Superior Court, I serve as Clerk to the Juvenile Court. I am solely responsible for maintaining the integrity of the court’s records and funds. I also serve as Dade County Jury Clerk. In the role of jury Clerk, I am responsible for maintaining the integrity of the jury pool or “box.” As a citizen of Dade County over the age of 18, meeting all other minimum requirements of a juror, your name will be on the list of eligible jurors. The jury information on each juror is handled with extreme care to maintain integrity of the list and confidentiality of the juror data. I am also responsible for the summoning of jurors for trials and for those called to sit on Grand Jury.
Effective July 1, 2010, as per HB 346, Clerks in Georgia assumed the duties for Appeals Administrator to the Dade County Board of Equalization. This is the citizen review panel which determines the equality of property taxation by the county assessor. In this role, I am responsible for the day to day management functions of the Board itself including the records on each tax dispute. I oversee the delivery of notices and decision letters to parties and providing a fair and impartial setting for the hearings.