2008 Budget Book - Kitsap County Government

Law & Justice – Courts
Clerk
Purpose:
It is our mission to serve the courts and the citizens of Kitsap County in a manner best suited to provide
quality, efficient and effective service. We believe the public has a right to employees who embody the
highest standards of excellence, integrity and fairness. The County Clerk is an elected official, whose
position is authorized by the State Constitution. The office functions as the record keeper and financial
officer for the Superior Court. It is also the responsibility of the Clerk to provide jurors for all courts in
Kitsap County.
The duties of the Clerk are: (from RCW 2.32.050)
• To keep the seal of the court and affix it in all cases where he is required by law.
• To record the proceedings of the court.
• To keep the records, files and other books and papers appertaining to the court.
• To file all papers delivered to him for that purpose in any action or proceeding in the court as
directed by court rule or statute.
• To attend the court of which he is CLERK, to administer oaths, and receive the verdict of a jury in
any action or proceeding therein, in the presence and under the direction of the court.
• To keep the journal of the proceedings of the court, and, under the direction of the court, to enter
its orders, judgments and decrees.
• To authenticate by certificate or transcript, as may be required, the records, files or proceedings
of the court, or any other paper appertaining thereto and filed with him.
• To exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred and imposed upon him elsewhere by
statute.
• In the performance of his duties to conform to the direction of the court.
• To publish notice of the procedures for inspection of the public records of the court.
2007 Accomplishments:
• Completed the expansion and remodel of the Clerk’s Office and jury holding area to better serve
the courts, citizens and staff
• Created extensive file storage in the expanded Clerk’s Office to bring staff and most files out of
the basement file room
• Staffed a satellite passport office in the Kitsap Mall, which served the citizens and brought
revenue to the county
• Sent staff to the Kingston Community Fair to process passports
• Staffed a satellite passport office at Towne Square in Port Orchard to process passports
• Continued to image old files as funding was available to improve citizen access to court
information and reduce storage needs
• Obtained a grant to convert a portion of microfilmed court records to image to improve citizen
access to court information
• Obtained a grant to aid Kitsap SAIVS in setting up a local office to better serve victims of
domestic violence and sexual assault
• Began work on a “Pay or Appear” calendar to collect Legal Financial Obligations from convicted
felons
• Used funds obtained from the State Office of Public Defense (OPD) to provide legal research for
public defenders, Internet access and other things to improve the public defense system in Kitsap
County (funds limited to this use)
• Worked with a consultant to assess the county’s Public Defense System and determine needs
and best use of funds from OPD
• Began sending Courthouse Facilitators to sit in on Pro Se dissolution calendars to assist the court
• Began accepting walk-in facilitator appointments to increase access to the court system
• Continued work on e-filing
• Expanded information and forms available on the web
• Explored use of fillable forms on the web
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