As an attorney that practices regularly in the criminal
justice center here in Harris County, I get to meet and deal with a great
number of people. In my 14 years as an attorney, I’ve been a prosecutor and a
criminal defense attorney. This means being in court almost very morning. What
I’ve noticed is that the clerks (sitting by the Judge) are always busy. They
seem to get there before anyone and are there long after most have already
left. They often spend lunches at the desk working and that too after
continuously working and responding to several people at the same time. It’s
multitasking that really amazing to watch. These folks are one of the hardest
working people out there.
I decided to look up their job description
and was amazed at what they are responsible. Since I work primarily in the
criminal justice center, I have first hand knowledge about the clerks that
practice there; having said that, I’m confident that the those in the other
courts (civil, family & juvenile) work just as hard (where several trees
worth of paper need to be sorted and filed).
They
clerks are responsible for keeping the records of the court safe, record proceedings,
enter all judgments under the direction of the judge, record all executions
issued and the returns issued on the executions, keep an index of the parties
to all suits filed in the court, and make reference to any judgment made in the
case, keep track of who is on the jury panel, track those that are selected,
take in all subpoenas, motions, attorney fee vouchers, determine and enter jail
credit and to respond to all the attorneys various inquires while the courts in
session. And all this has to be correct. And that too all the time, for every
case. A mistake could affect someone’s liberty or a victim’s right to justice. This
is a job that demands perfection and dedication.
I
then decided to look up what someone in that position makes. I was shocked to
learn that even after a few years on the job the pay is still at around
$13/hour. Some may say that it’s a job and one should be grateful. I believe we
are all grateful for what we’ve been blessed with. But a position of clerk,
with all its responsibilities does require recognition; when one has been
charged with great responsibility and they fulfill it each and every time –
there has to be just compensation.
I
think they deserve a raise. Not sure what is possible with budget constraints.
And I’m sure the elected district clerk is aware and is in the process of doing
something about it. But I think they do
deserve a raise, its something that needs to be acknowledged and I along with
my fellow criminal defense attorneys thank them for always being there and
doing a great job. Your commitment to your job and the community is
appreciated.
