Justice Court Clerk 1

Class Characteristics

Under general supervision, to perform the violations court clerk role and responsibilities associated with the case processing and adjudication of criminal/traffic/violations heard through the Justice Court pursuant to the violations’ bureau order; to perform limited and routine violation trial tasks, civil case tasks and finance processes as assigned; and to do other work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Justice Court hears criminal/traffic/violations and civil/small claims/landlord-tenant cases filed with Clackamas County Justice Court. Criminal violations include a variety of cases including traffic and other citations such as minor in possession of alcohol or marijuana, marine, forestry and parks, fish and game, weigh master, and public transportation. Civil cases include small claims, landlord-tenant, and civil cases with a jurisdictional limit of $10,000. The Justice Court is not a court of record as no transmission of open court proceedings through electronic media is maintained.

The Justice Court Clerk 1 (JCC1) acts as the violations clerk to adjudicate criminal/traffic/violations pursuant to the violations’ bureau order. Incumbents provide customer service and information regarding citation and collection processes including payment options, court procedures, license clearances in accordance with court policies, regulations and laws governing criminal violations. Incumbents review criminal/traffic/violations and other documentation for accuracy and completeness, update case information in the court case management program, enter pleas, handle cash and receipt payments, access Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) driving records, and submit/recall cases to collections. Duties also include providing assistance to higher level staff by performing routine violation trial and civil case tasks as well as basic finance processes.

The Justice Court Clerk 1 differs from the Justice Court Clerk 2 which performs the full scope of civil case processing from filing to resolution, sets hearings and trials, and acts as technical and training resource for JCC1 staff when adjudicating violations and assisting with civil cases. It differs from the Legal Assistant series which performs a range of legal case management and support activities to attorneys for the criminal prosecution of misdemeanor and felony cases and other functions of the District Attorney’s Office. It also differs from the Office Specialist series which performs a variety of moderately difficult administrative support activities according to generally established guidelines, regulations or instructions but not the specialized duties within the Justice Court of adjudicating criminal/traffic/violation cases.

Typical Tasks

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

Provides customer assistance to the public in person, by mail, email and telephone; receives and responds to general questions by providing information regarding violation plea options, citation and collection processes including payment options and obtaining license clearances; gathers relevant information and coordinates with a supervisor for resolution of traffic cases; communicates basic case information to external law enforcement and collection agencies. 


Maintains workflow of criminal/traffic/violation cases using the court case management program; reviews and compares citations to the court docket verifying all necessary information is accurate and correct; prepares and proof reads the arraignment docket and any specialty dockets such as show cause hearings; refers inaccurate information to a supervisor; updates and closes a criminal/traffic/violation case if a plea is entered and the fine is paid in person, online, by mail or telephone; sends conviction abstracts to Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as assigned; prints and provides motions to the Judge filed by the public as well as law enforcement motions to dismiss or amend a citation.

Adjudicates criminal/traffic/violation cases in person at the court window, online, by mail, fax or telephone pursuant to the violations’ bureau order; accesses driving records as allowed by Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) guidelines to reduce a fine pursuant to the violations’ bureau order; assists the public with payment options; verifies documents including proof of vehicle insurance and registration; inspects vehicles to confirm necessary corrective action has been taken in compliance with court findings.

Opens, distributes, and processes mail; receipts for mail payments; reviews letters from the public addressed to the Judge and creates draft response letters for the Judge’s review and approval. 


Generates and reviews reports including failure to appear in court and failure to comply with payment plan contracts; sends letters and notices for failure to appear and failure to comply; creates and submits documents to the DMV requesting a Notice of Suspension or license clearance; monitors cases for eligibility to reinstate driving privileges.

Cashiers, receipts, processes and tracks fees, payments and bonds collected for criminal/traffic/violation fines; sets up payment plan contracts; completes internal records; balances transactions, receipts, and the cash drawer; submits cases to the collection agency; receives and reviews status updates from the collection agency.

Performs routine violation trial tasks in criminal/traffic violations cases as assigned under the guidance of a JCC2 or supervisor such as preparing and proof reading the trial docket, entering and removing driving records in the electronic case file, scanning documents and adding parties to the case, sending subpoenas, notifying parties of a trial date reset, and other limited duties; performs limited LEDS related tasks to assist department LEDS representative as assigned under guidance of LEDS representative or supervisor. 


Performs routine duties in civil/small claims/landlord-tenant cases as assigned under the guidance of a JCC2 or supervisor; enters and/or scans initial/primary information from electronic and in-person filers; ensures accuracy of civil dockets including small claims and landlord-tenant cases by comparing the docket to court software files.

Performs routine finance duties such as preparing the daily bank deposit and daily deposit summary, preparing check disbursements for civil cases, entering data on the civil trust spreadsheet for deposit and disbursement tracking, reconciling payments received from collections, preparing the accounts payable voucher for monthly billing statements, processing refunds, and other occasional, limited finance tasks as assigned under the guidance of a JCC2 or supervisor.


REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS

Working knowledge of: Customer service techniques; office operations, procedures, and equipment; cash handling procedures; business math; English spelling, punctuation, grammar and composition; Oregon Revised Statutes including the vehicle code and criminal code; Department of Motor Vehicle Rules; Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) Rules; General Court Orders and court procedures related to criminal/traffic/violation matters; office equipment, including computers and software programs, scanners, copiers, telephones, their functions and capabilities; concepts and techniques of prioritizing and organizing work; techniques for dealing with a variety of individuals from various socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds;

Skill to: Provide assistance and information to customers; explain applicable court policies and procedures without giving legal advice; work effectively in a multi-task, detail and deadline driven environment; handle a high volume of customers by telephone and in person; review documents for completeness; independently, accurately and effectively perform assigned tasks and duties following established procedures, regulations and program policies; effectively operate office equipment, personal computers and software applications including databases and scanning software; perform data entry and arithmetic calculations with speed and accuracy; cash handling; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, including drafting effective and concise correspondence; establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, Judge, law enforcement and court personnel, parties and attorneys, other agencies, and the public in a courteous, professional manner; maintain composure under stressful conditions; maintain confidential information in accordance with legal standards and County regulations.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum qualifications are used as a guide for establishing the minimum experience, education, licensure, and/or certifications required for employment in the classification. The following minimum qualifications are established for this classification. Additional minimum qualifications and special conditions may apply to a specific position within this classification and will be stated on the job announcement.

Experience: A minimum of one (1) year of related court experience that would provide the required knowledge and skills to perform the responsibilities of this position.

Pre-Employment Requirements

Must pass a criminal background check which will include national and state fingerprint records check.

Must pass a pre-employment drug test.

Driving may be necessary for County business. For position(s) with occasional/incidental driving, incumbents must possess a valid driver's license. Accommodation requests for an acceptable alternative method of transportation will be reviewed on an individual basis in compliance with State and Federal legislation. For position(s) with regular driving, incumbent(s) must also possess and maintain an acceptable driving record throughout the course of employment.

Post-Employment Requirements

Within thirty (30) days of hire, possession of Law Enforcement Data System certification.

Classification No. 153
Established: 7/22
FLSA: Non-Exempt
EEO: 6