Duties of the Clerk of the Circuit Court

The office of the Clerk of Circuit Court is unique to county government. The Clerk serves the bench, the Bar, and the Board of Seminole County Commissioners, but she answers directly to the electorate.

As an officer of the court, the Clerk maintains the files and records of each case heard in Seminole County (145,615 cases heard in 1999 alone, or about one new case every 56 seconds the courthouse was open to the public.). These include felony and misdemeanor cases, civil suits, and traffic tickets; wills, estates and guardianships; juvenile delinquency and dependency cases.

As Clerk of the Circuit and County Court, the Clerk:
  • Attends each session of court;
  • Files indictments, pleadings and verdicts;
  • Summons jurors, witnesses and defendants;
  • Prepares the appellate record;
  • Collects fines, fees, forfeitures and court costs;
  • Receives and disburses child support and alimony payments;
  • Conducts mortgage foreclosure sales;
  • Assists victims of abuse in completing the paperwork necessary to seek injunctions for protection;
  • Assists plaintiffs in completing the paperwork necessary to file for a simplified divorce; and,
  • Assists plaintiffs in completing the paperwork necessary to file a small claims action.

The Clerk serves as county treasurer and auditor. In this capacity, the Clerk reviews all county government expenditures, co-signs each check and manages a $259 million investment portfolio. The Clerk is responsible for preparing the county's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

As Seminole County's Chief Financial Officer, the Clerk:
  • Provides accounting services to all Seminole County government agencies, offices and departments;
  • Audits all county expenditures;
  • Pays the county's bills;
  • Makes the county's payroll;
  • Reviews proposed contracts before adoption;
  • Conducts internal audits of county operations; and,
  • Makes recommendations for improvements of internal controls and operational procedures of Seminole County government operations.

The Clerk also serves as County Recorder, Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners and is an ex-officio member of the board. A recent legislative study estimated that the Clerk of the Circuit Court performed 926 separate tasks for county government.

As County Recorder, the Clerk:
  • Records and indexes deeds, mortgages and real estate transactions;
  • Processes tax deed applications and conducts tax deed sales;
  • Records public defender liens and all judgments rendered by the court;
  • Maintains a public land records and microfilm library; and,
  • Maintains the Official Records Books of the County.
As Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, the Clerk:
  • Attends all meetings of the Board of County Commissioners and committees of the Board;
  • Produces, records, indexes and distributes the official minutes of those meetings;
  • Retains custody of the official county seal;
  • Retains custody of all county resolutions, ordinances and contracts; and,
  • Processes appeals for the Value Adjustment Board.