Week 3:
This week was spent mainly in the Clerk’s Office. I spent one-day sealing records which entailed taping shut 100+ case record folders dating back to the 1970s. I then had to sort the sealed records by date and docket number. Another day I helped with the mail that comes in and out of the office. I mainly mailed out copies of docket sheets and police records. Some of the copies needed to be certified, so I would certify them with a stamp and a seal before I could lick the envelope and write the mailing address. I even had to learn how to use a fax machine, which wasn’t too complicated.
One challenge I did have this week though was dealing with the really old records I was asked to pull. Thursday I ventured into the ground floor records room, as well as the attic, where the court keeps the records that don’t fit in the records vault housed in the Clerk’s Office. The challenge came when I had to make copies of docket sheets from almost 50 years ago. Back in the day, the court wrote docket sheets inside of a large book, so in order to make copies, I would have to lug the correct 30 pound leather bound book over to the copy machine. It was a process, but I was able to get some exercise in! The spiral staircase up to the attic was also a fun hike.
So far my internship has drastically changed my impression of what goes on in a courthouse. I never realized besides judges and attorneys, how many different people are needed to keep the place running smoothly. Each case I encounter is also changing my impression on the kinds of crimes people commit and how those working at the court handle them.