TEAMWORK

TEAMWORKMAKING HISTORY HAPPEN TODAYTHE APPROACH IN SERVINGHistory of the Office of ClerkThe Office of the Clerk has a long history. It is oneof the oldest of public servants in existence andcan be traced back more than a thousand years.In America, the Office of Clerk was one of thefirst forms of local government the early colonistsestablished when they arrived in the new land.Through the years, Clerks became a central part ofgovernment and a direct connection between citizensand their government. There are very few offices incounty government that assist such a wide rangeof people.In Arizona, the Clerk's Office was establishedby State Constitution to serve the citizens, legalcommunity, and the Superior Court. The Office of theClerk of the Court was created to be responsive tothe public, mindful of the taxpayer, and independentof the court itself. The Clerk is an elected official,who serves as the official record-keeper of theCourt and acts as a safeguard and processor ofall monies collected.The ClerkThe Clerk of the Superior Court is elected to theOffice by the voters of Maricopa County every fouryears. Since the Office’s beginning in 1912, nineindividuals have served in the Office. The longestservingClerk was Walter Wilson who served formore than 30 years. It is believed that ThomasRoad is named after the first Clerk of the CourtW.E. Thomas.The Present OfficeToday, Michael K. Jeanes, Clerk of the Superior Court, and his staff serve thenation’s third largest county. The Office is dedicated to providing quality customerservice, being innovative, user-friendly and fiscally responsible. There are eightOffice locations throughout Maricopa County to serve the public. During the pastseveral years, the Office and staff have received national and statewide recognitionfor their achievements.Functions of the Clerk’s OfficeThe specific and special duties of the Clerk’s Office are assigned by statute, theArizona Supreme Court, and local and statewide court rules. The functions of theClerk satisfy more than 500 state statutes and court rules. Among the Office’sresponsibilities are:• Provide public access to the records of the Superior Court,Maricopa County;• Keep a docket;• Attend each Superior Court session to record the actionsof the court;• Receive filings for Superior Court action in civil, criminal,mental health, probate, tax, family court matters, andjuvenile, which includes delinquency, dependency, adoption,and severance cases;• Collect and disburse court-ordered fees, fines, and victimrestitution;• Provide various family support services to the public;• Receive, distribute, and preserve official court documents;• Store exhibits for all court cases;• Process passport applications;• Issue and record marriage licenses.Community ImpactAmong the numerous officials and agencies the Office interacts with are: ArizonaLegislature, Attorney General, County Attorney, County Board of Supervisors,County Sheriff, Department of Corrections, Department of Economic Security,Department of Public Safety, Probation and Parole departments, Public DefenseServices, the federal courts, Arizona Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, andSuperior Court.10 | 2010 - 2011 ANNUAL REPORT