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Judicial clerks keep busy
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Judicial clerk Vincent Lenos stands under a screen used for close circuit television appearances in the Slave Lake courtroom. The Bible beside him is a well-known tool he uses for witnesses on the stand.
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Judicial clerk Vincent Lenos goes over a document prior to the start of court. A major part of Lenos’ job is ensuring all relevant files and people are present in the courtroom by the time the judge walks in to start a trial.
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Theresa Seraphim
for Spotlight
A judicial clerk’s life is a busy one.
That’s the conclusion of Vincent Lenos, who has done the job for four years.
“It’s not overwhelming (but) it is busy,” Lenos says during a break on one recent day in court.
Judicial clerks like Lenos are called nonpresiding justices of the peace. Presiding JPs get to hear bail reviews, which is not part of Lenos’ job. Also, he points out, JPs do not perform marriages; that task falls to marriage commissioners, who are part of another government division.
Lenos was working for the Ministry of Social Services, then found the job wasn’t challenging enough but wanted to stay with the government and came over to the Justice side.
According to OCCinfo (an Alberta Learning Information Service web site), a judicial clerk needs at least a high school diploma. He or she must also have good organizational and time management skills, excellent writing and in-person communication skills, the ability to work independently with good decision-making skills, and the ability to deal with stress.
While some clerks have gone through a paralegal program, Lenos says that’s not necessary in order to learn the job.
“On the job training is what they give you,” says Lenos, who travels in a circuit that includes High Prairie, Slave Lake, Desmarais/Wabasca and Red Earth Creek.
The job is done in two places – in the courtroom and behind the counter of the courthouse.
The former includes contacting witnesses, lawyers and litigants to get information for the court, entering court results in computer systems, preparing and reviewing files, opening court and calling court to order, and recording final dispositions, to name a few tasks.
“I make sure the files are there in court and the people required are there.”
Clerks are also mandated to help keep order in the court.
“I guess we’re the air traffic controllers of the courtroom – we make sure everyone’s following the docket and they’re where they’re supposed to be.”
The counter portion of the job involves working directly with the public.
“We’ll take payments and fill all sorts of court-related documents and refer people to agencies for further help,” says Lenos. (See sidebar for that information.)
“We can’t give legal advice but we can certainly point them towards (those) agencies.”
Lenos says members of the public are good with the staff behind the counter.
“I think they know we’re trying to help them.”
Lenos says he enjoys being either in the courtroom or behind the counter.
“I’m glad that we can do both because that adds to the variety.”
While some members of the public may think judicial clerks are biased in favour of police, Lenos stresses he and his cohorts are an independent body.
Lenos says his time as a judicial clerk has given him a deeper appreciation of the justice system, which is set up (unlike systems in other countries) to ensure the accused gets his or her day in court.
“The system is trying to give (the accused) that outlet to voice their point of view. We’re giving you a place where you can go against a judge.”
Getting people to understand that is, says Leno, one challenge of his job. Another challenge is traveling to the various communities, although that is mitigated by the fact that eight judicial clerks share the responsibility for going to those places.
A third challenge is the fact that in a rural court, judicial clerks are responsible for not only criminal court but also for family court and civil matters, which entails learning the terminology that goes with each area and also the ways of entering data.
This, says Lenos, is different that in urban courts, where judicial clerks will specialize in one of the areas.
“It makes better sense that everybody knows everything (in rural courts).”
Lenos also has to be aware of other requirements.
“There’s certain things you do with youth that doesn’t apply to any other age group (such as publication bans and different sentences than adults),” says Lenos.
While medicine is going towards electronic files for patients, Lenos doesn’t see the same happening for court clients for awhile yet.
“I don’t think we’re morning to this as quickly because there are traditions,” he says.
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