District Clerk Duties

	District Clerk's Duties
	The Clerk of the Court Duties of the District Clerk revolve around the four Judicial District Courts of Bell County. There are very specific statutory responsibilities of the District Clerk which are administrative, record keeping, and financial responsibilities. The duties of the District Clerk are extensive and interface with each phase of the judicial process.
	Custodian of the Record The District Clerk is the registrar recorder and custodian of all court pleadings, instruments and legal documents that are a part of any cause of action in any civil or criminal case. The District Clerk maintains the official court record and receives for filing all documents in the felony criminal, family, juvenile, delinquent tax and the greater value civil courts cases. The District Clerk performs duties from the time a case is filed through disposition, appeal, and ancillary proceedings that may occur for many years after judgment.
	Records Management The District Clerk is responsible for more than 200,000 civil and criminal cases, some dating as far back as the 1800's. As the custodian of these permanent records, the clerk must assure that they are preserved and archived. Microfilming has secured these records.
	Financial Officer As the financial officer, the District Clerk collects court cost and fines set by statue which are deposited in the general fund of the county. Court ordered child support is received and disbursed through the District Clerks Office. Currently there are over 19,000 active child support cases with a collection totaling over $22 million in child support processed annually.
	Jury Manager The District Clerk is in charge of the jury selection process for Bell County. Jurors are randomly selected by the county computer system from the current voter registration list in the county and from the residents of the county that are holders of a valid Texas drivers license or a valid Texas personal identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.