California Court Clerks

Article 7 deals with court clerks. Section 69840 requires the clerk of the court to exercise or perform, in addition to the powers, duties, and responsibilities provided by statute, any powers, duties, and responsibilities required or permitted to be exercised by the county clerk in connection with judicial actions, proceedings, and records.

Section 69841 requires the clerk of the superior court to attend each session of the superior court in the county and upon the judges of the court in chambers when required.

Section 69842 requires the clerk of the superior court to keep indexes as will ensure ready reference to any action or proceeding filed in the court. There must be separate indexes of plaintiffs and defendants in civil actions and of defendants in criminal actions.

Section 69843 requires the clerk of the superior court to issue all process and notices required to be issued.

Section 69844 requires the clerk of the superior court to keep the minutes and other records of the court, entering at length within the time specified by law, or forthwith if no time is specified, any order, judgment, and decree of the court which is required to be entered and showing the date when each entry is made.

Section 69844.5 requires each clerk of the superior court to prospectively certify and submit those court records specified by the Judicial Council which relate to criminal convictions for entry into a computer system operated by the Department of Justice that can be accessed by authorized agents of any district attorney or other state prosecuting agency.

Section 69844.7 states that, in those counties where it is required by court order or rule that the clerk of the superior court place individual minute orders in the court’s file of actions in chronological order, the clerk is not be required to keep a minute book but must be required to keep minutes.

Section 69845 allows the clerk of the superior court to keep a register of actions in which is entered the title of each cause, with the date of its commencement and a memorandum of every subsequent proceeding in the action with its date.

Section 69845.5 authorizes the clerk of the superior court to maintain a register of actions by preserving all the court records filed, lodged, or maintained in connection with the case.

Section 69846 requires the clerk of the superior court to safely keep or dispose of according to law all papers and records filed or deposited in any action or proceeding before the court.

Section 69846.5 requires the clerk of the superior court to endorse on each paper filed with the court the day, month, and year it is filed.

Section 69847 requires the clerk of the superior court to provide two books. In one of the books the clerk is required to enter in alphabetical order the names of each person who has declared his or her intention to become a citizen of the United States since the organization of the court and the date of such declaration

And, in the other book, the clerk must enter in alphabetical order the name of each person who has been admitted a citizen of the United States by the court, and the clerk must also enter in separate columns opposite each name, the country of which the person was before a citizen or subject, the date of his admission, and the page of the book of the record of the court containing the order admitting him as such citizen.

Section 69848 allows the clerk of the superior court to use a facsimile signature on any court documents regularly maintained in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of filing or certifying those documents, provided the authorized deputy initials the facsimile signature.