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View Full Version : What could a libertarian do as Circuit Court Clerk?




Matt Collins
08-09-2010, 08:24 AM
Imagine you are a libertarian and get elected to the position of Circuit Court Clerk? What could you do?

bobbyw24
08-09-2010, 08:25 AM
Imagine you are a libertarian and get elected to the position of Circuit Court Clerk? What could you do?

Hire Matt Collins

Elwar
08-09-2010, 08:38 AM
Piss in the prosecutor's coffee?

bobbyw24
08-09-2010, 08:39 AM
I know the Clerk here in Duval Co and I am not sure that he has a whole lot of control over polices that matter.

jmdrake
08-09-2010, 08:45 AM
Imagine you are a libertarian and get elected to the position of Circuit Court Clerk? What could you do?

Circuit Court Clerk isn't a political position and it shouldn't be elected. That position should be a hired civil servant's position and whoever gets it should get a severe pay cut. (I'm going by Nashville and it's insane for that position to be 6 figures). Someone in that position should just do a good job. Make sure stuff gets filed correctly, that people get proper and timely notice of charges or lawsuits pending against them, that no one gets overcharged for their fines etc. The job exists whether people think there should be public courts or not and since it exists it should be done right. If you believe in property rights and you are willing to go to court to defend those property rights the last think you want is some screwed up court system that loses your filings and makes you have to start over again or worse lose your case by default.

Since it is an elected position a libertarian that got elected should do a good job, be fair, be efficient, and then parlay his political experience into running for city council where he can vote to cut government spending.

nayjevin
08-09-2010, 08:46 AM
I would re-print my business card and practice segueways like 'going forward'

mczerone
08-09-2010, 08:46 AM
Most heads of "clerk" offices are responsible for organizing the various briefs in a case for easy access by the judges. Some are even burdened with writing the official court's report of a case, either in writing the facts or committing the judge's decision to paper.

As a libertarian clerk, I imagine the opportunity for injecting personal opinions and policy viewpoints would be negligible, but could on the margins highlight the aspects of certain cases to show how a simple determination of aggression would determine the eventual legal result.

At best, the position is used to build a reputation that would lead one to be a successful prosecutor or judge who would be more able to only prosecute those cases with a victim, and to do so in a non-aggressive way.

If you can get such a job - take it, but don't expect it to do more for advancing liberty than keeping your bills paid and squeezing out a frothing statist that would undoubtedly use the position to glorify the monopoly court process.

Elwar
08-09-2010, 08:55 AM
I know the Clerk here in Duval Co and I am not sure that he has a whole lot of control over polices that matter.

But he does have control over the coffee.

:D

jmdrake
08-09-2010, 09:02 AM
I think Matt's talking about a different kind of clerk. I'm familiar with the judge clerking you're talking about. That's usually an underpaid recent law graduate that mainly doing it for the experience. It's not an elected position but rather he or she interviews with the judge for it. And yes, that is a good way to positively influence what's going on in the legal system.

This is what Matt's talking about.

http://circuitclerk.nashville.gov/

We had a juvenile court clerk who was on the local news for not showing up to work. His files were in a mess and he was once arrested for contempt of court. Thankfully he lost this last time around. (Yes, he had the gall to run again). Total leech making 150K a year.


Most heads of "clerk" offices are responsible for organizing the various briefs in a case for easy access by the judges. Some are even burdened with writing the official court's report of a case, either in writing the facts or committing the judge's decision to paper.

As a libertarian clerk, I imagine the opportunity for injecting personal opinions and policy viewpoints would be negligible, but could on the margins highlight the aspects of certain cases to show how a simple determination of aggression would determine the eventual legal result.

At best, the position is used to build a reputation that would lead one to be a successful prosecutor or judge who would be more able to only prosecute those cases with a victim, and to do so in a non-aggressive way.

If you can get such a job - take it, but don't expect it to do more for advancing liberty than keeping your bills paid and squeezing out a frothing statist that would undoubtedly use the position to glorify the monopoly court process.

bobbyw24
08-09-2010, 09:05 AM
This is what Matt's talking about.

http://circuitclerk.nashville.gov/

S/he could abolish all court filing fees to promote frivolous lawsuits all in the name of the free market and de-fund domestic violence shelters that most courts tack a fee onto divorce filings to support.

jmdrake
08-09-2010, 09:45 AM
S/he could abolish all court filing fees to promote frivolous lawsuits all in the name of the free market and de-fund domestic violence shelters that most courts tack a fee onto divorce filings to support.

I didn't know court clerks had the power to set fees. Does the legislature give them a range?

I'm not sure how I feel about de-funding domestic abuse shelters. My mom had to deal with domestic abuse when I was a child. We never lived in a shelter because we had friends and family we could live with temporarily, but I can see the overall need some women may have for shelters. If it's not paid for by government fees then it's something that individuals should fund out of the goodness of their hearts IMO.

Matt Collins
08-24-2010, 12:51 PM
An individual I know who has just been elected to this position will be reading this thread very soon.

tangent4ronpaul
08-24-2010, 01:31 PM
whoops - you mean that "shall not" was supposed to be a shall? - my bad! :cool:

-t