M E M O
TO:Joint Procedure Committee
FROM:Gerhard Raedeke
RE:Clerk of Court Office Consolidation
In conference committee amendments to the judiciary's budget legislation, Senate Bill 2002, the Legislature indicated its intent for counties to combine or share the services of clerks of district court.
Chief Justice VandeWalle has asked the Committee to begin thinking about rule amendments necessary for consolidation of the offices of clerks of court.
Filing deadlines are a concern. If a clerk of court's office does not exist within the county, more time will be consumed traveling to the clerk of court's office to file in another county. Will the time periods for filing need to be increased to accommodate the extra traveling time? Will extra time be needed, given we already have filing by mail and facsimile transmission? Are there any rules of procedure which will need to be amended to accommodate consolidation of the offices of clerks of court?
Besides amendments to the rules on venue, what other rule changes need consideration if consolidation continues to the point of having trial centers?