Hopkins County District Clerk

Department Duties:

District Clerks are called on to assure that the affairs of the district courts are maintained objectively with the full confidence of judicial authorities.

The Texas Government Code states the duties and powers of the clerk of the district court: "The clerk of the District Court has custody of and shall carefully maintain and arrange the records relating to or lawfully deposited in the clerk's office." The district clerk shall:

• Record the acts and proceedings of the district court;
• Enter all judgments of the court under the direction of the judge;
• Record all executions issued and the returns issued on the executions;
• Process passport applications;
• Administer child support payments;
• Administer trust accounts for minors ordered by the courts;
• Keep an index of the parties to all suits filed in the court, and make reference to any judgment made in the case; and
• Keep an account of all funds collected by the office, by way of fines and fees, and the amount due jurors in district court for service.

Department Description:

I am elected by the voters of Hopkins County for a 4 year term. I have served as the clerk since 1991.

I am the clerk for the 2 District Judges and the County Court at Law Judge. I have a staff of 8 deputies, 1 part time worker. We work very closely with the court of appeals in Tyler and Texarkana and the Criminal Court of Appeal in Austin.

The District Clerk indexes and secures all court records, collects filing fees and handles funds held in litigation and money awards to minors. We file Juvenile, Adoption, civil, Criminal and Tax cases. We process applications for passports and summon juries for the 3 courts.

The clerk is the register, recorder and custodian of all court pleadings, instruments and papers that are part of any cause of action in district court. We are the record keeper for child support.

Department Objectives:

Continue to image old records and maintain reports as required by the State.

Long term objective is to be able to do electronic filing and have a paperless office.