How have court clerks traditionally assumed and performed the role of court administrator?

Question

What will be an ideal response

Answer 1

Most courts have de facto court administrators in these clerks, even if they have appointed administrators. These are key individuals in the administration of local court systems. They docket cases, collect fees and costs, oversee jury selection, and maintain court records. These local officials, elected in all but six states, can amass tremendous power. From the beginning of English settlement in North America, court clerks were vital members of society. "Clerks of writs" or "clerks of the assize" existed in early Massachusetts, where people were litigious primarily about land boundaries. Hostility toward lawyers carried over from England, and the clerk was the intermediary between the litigants and the justice of the peace. During the late seventeenth century, American courts became more structured and formalized. Books were available that imposed English court practices in the colonies, and clerks, judges, and attorneys were provided proper forms that had to be used. In fact, some of the forms used by clerks 200 years ago are similar to those in use today. Clerks have traditionally competed with judges for control over local judicial administration.