FRANKFORT, Ky., Oct. 11, 2019 – Circuit court clerks throughout the commonwealth received new information and refreshers on best practices, unclaimed property, Casey’s Law and more at the 2019 Circuit Court Clerks Fall College. The college took place Oct. 7-10 in Lexington.
The circuit clerks also provided their input on a guide being created to help them address requests from the public for legal assistance. Circuit court clerks can’t provide legal advice and have ethics rules to follow when providing information.
“Circuit court clerks get asked for legal advice by the public quite a bit and, while we can’t provide such advice or opinions on cases, we want to do everything we can to make sure everyone has access to the courts,” said Knox County Circuit Court Clerk Greg Helton, who is the 2018-2019 president of the Kentucky Association of Circuit Court Clerks. “We can give people information on court processes and case files, make sure paperwork is completed and guide them to get legal aid for help in civil cases if they can’t afford an attorney. It will be helpful to have a guide that incorporates situations the clerks have experienced in this area.”
In the session on unclaimed property, the circuit clerks got a refresher from the state treasurer on how and when to report based on the new time requirements under legislation that took effect July 1. Offices of Circuit Court Clerk return hundreds of thousands of dollars in unclaimed money from bonds and other payments to the state treasury so it can be claimed by its owners. Citizens who think they have unclaimed funds at their local circuit clerk’s office should contact the office. Contact information is available on the Kentucky Court of Justice website here. To search for unclaimed property that has been reported to the Kentucky State Treasury, visit the agency's website.
Visiting an Office of Circuit Court Clerk is often the first step a family or friend takes when considering using Casey’s Law to help an individual with a substance abuse disorder. The circuit clerks got information at the college to assist them with their role of working with people filing petitions with the courts to involuntary commit someone for treatment.
The college also covered cultural competency, which is about understanding differences in culture and effectively interacting with people of other cultures. Other sessions focused on handling child support, processing criminal cases and using court technology, and the circuit clerks had the opportunity to meet with the justices of the Supreme Court of Kentucky for an open discussion.
The Kentucky Association of Circuit Court Clerks and the AOC Division of Education Services provided the college for the state’s circuit court clerks. The event offered continuing education credit for the circuit clerks.
Circuit Court Clerks
Circuit court clerks are responsible for managing the records of Kentucky’s Circuit and District courts. Circuit clerks are constitutionally elected officials from all 120 counties and serve a six-year term. They provide professional recordkeeping, receive money due the courts, pay money to required parties and to the state, record legal documents, provide legal documents and other legal materials, maintain the jury system, administer oaths, handle affidavits and issue driver licenses and non-driver ID cards.
Administrative Office of the Courts
The AOC is the operations arm for the state court system and supports the activities of more than 3,400 court system employees and 406 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. As the fiscal agent for the state court system, the AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.
By county, circuit court clerks who attended the college include:
Adair County Circuit Court Clerk Dennis Loy
Allen County Circuit Court Clerk Todd B. Calvert
Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk Pamela J. Robinson
Barren County Circuit Court Clerk Krissie Coe Fields
Bath County Circuit Court Clerk Claudette Faudere
Bell County Circuit Court Clerk Colby Slusher
Boone County Circuit Court Clerk David S. Martin
Bourbon County Circuit Court Clerk Trina B. Huston
Boyd County Circuit Court Clerk Tracey L. Kelley
Boyle County Circuit Court Clerk Cortney Shewmaker
Breathitt County Circuit Court Clerk James E. Turner
Breckinridge County Circuit Court Clerk Cindy Rhodes
Bullitt County Circuit Court Clerk Paulita A. Keith
Butler County Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Cardwell
Caldwell County Circuit Court Clerk Danny Hooks
Calloway County Circuit Court Clerk Linda Avery
Campbell County Circuit Court Clerk Taunya Nolan Jack
Carroll County Circuit Court Clerk Gloria Belcher
Casey County Circuit Court Clerk Craig L. Overstreet
Christian County Circuit Court Clerk Paige Parker
Clark County Circuit Court Clerk Martha M. Miller
Clinton County Circuit Court Clerk Jake Staton
Crittenden County Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Guill
Daviess County Circuit Court Clerk Jennifer Hardesty Besecker
Elliott County Circuit Court Clerk William Jason Ison
Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk Vincent Riggs
Fleming County Circuit Court Clerk Amy M. Saunders
Floyd County Circuit Court Clerk Douglas Ray Hall
Gallatin County Circuit Court Clerk Tammy Trimble
Grant County Circuit Court Clerk Wray J. Jump
Graves County Circuit Court Clerk Emily Ward Buzanis
Grayson County Circuit Court Clerk Stacie Blain
Green County Circuit Court Clerk Ann Arnett
Greenup County Circuit Court Clerk Allen Kent Reed
Hancock County Circuit Court Clerk Michael T. Boling
Harrison County Circuit Court Clerk Teresa W. Furnish
Hart County Circuit Court Clerk Kayla Rountree
Henry County Circuit Court Clerk Gina Lyle
Hopkins County Circuit Court Clerk Tanya M. Bowman
Jackson County Circuit Court Clerk Doris Kay Ward
Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk David L. Nicholson
Kenton County Circuit Court Clerk John C. Middleton
Knox County Circuit Court Clerk Greg Helton
LaRue County Circuit Court Clerk Emily N. Ernst
Lawrence County Circuit Court Clerk Jodi L. Parsley
Lee County Circuit Court Clerk Tyler Phillips
Lewis County Circuit Court Clerk Teresa Callahan
Livingston County Circuit Court Clerk Debbie Harp Knoth
Lyon County Circuit Court Clerk Kimberly Duncan
Madison County Circuit Court Clerk David M. Fernandez
Magoffin County Circuit Court Clerk Tonya Arnett Ward
Marion County Circuit Court Clerk Kim T. May
Marshall County Circuit Court Clerk Tiffany Fralicx Griffith
Martin County Circuit Court Clerk Denise M. Gauze
Mason County Circuit Court Clerk Kirk Tolle
McCracken County Circuit Court Clerk Kim Channell
McCreary County Circuit Court Clerk Othel King
Meade County Circuit Court Clerk Ellen F. Lindsey
Menifee County Circuit Court Clerk Donald T. Harper
Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk Tanya P. Terry
Morgan County Circuit Court Clerk Mary E. Coffee
Nicholas County Circuit Court Clerk Sandye Watkins
Owen County Circuit Court Clerk Margaret Forsee
Owsley County Circuit Court Clerk A. Michael Mays
Pendleton County Circuit Court Clerk Michael D. Redden
Pike County Circuit Court Clerk Anna Pinson Spears
Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk J.S. Flynn
Robertson County Circuit Court Clerk Tabitha Tilton
Rockcastle County Circuit Court Clerk Eliza Jane York-Hansel
Rowan County Circuit Court Clerk Kim Barker Tabor
Russell County Circuit Court Clerk Tony D. Kerr
Scott County Circuit Court Clerk Tina M. Foster
Simpson County Circuit Court Clerk Beth Anne Fiss
Todd County Circuit Court Clerk J. Mark Cowherd
Trigg County Circuit Court Clerk Pam W. Perry
Trimble County Circuit Court Clerk Stacy M. Bruner
Union County Circuit Court Clerk Trish Tackett
Washington County Circuit Court Clerk JoAnne Mudd Miller
Whitley County Circuit Court Clerk Gary W. Barton
Wolfe County Circuit Court Clerk Debra Sparks
Woodford County Circuit Court Clerk Christie Edwards
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