Clerk of District Court Office

Duties: In each of Iowa's 99 counties, a Clerk of District Court Office manages and maintains all trial court records filed in the county.

Location: Jefferson County Courthouse

Hours: Mon thru Fri 8am-noon, 1-4:30

Telephone: 641-472-3454
Fax: 641-472-9472

Mailing Address:
Clerk of District Court
51 W Briggs Ave., Suite 5
Fairfield IA 52556

Clerk: Jennifer Nelson, appointed by District 8 judges
Staff: Vickie, Felisha

Clerks of District Court have hundreds of administrative duties, some of which include:

• Maintaining All Court Records.
• Accepting and processing fines, fees and court costs owed to the state, child support checks, and civil judgments.
• Disposing of scheduled violations that are not contested and do not require a court hearing.
• Notifying state and local government agencies, including law enforcement agencies, of court orders.
• Jury management - summon jurors to serve each quarter.

Some of the areas the Clerk Of District Court is responsible for include (among others):

• Change of Name
• Child Support
• Civil Actions
• Criminal Cases
• Domestic Relations Cases
• Domestic Abuse Cases & Juvenile Cases
• Equity Cases
• Law Cases
• Mental Commitments
• Probate
• Small Claims
• Traffic Tickets

 

Links:

Everything you want to know about the Iowa Judicial Branch - https://www.iowacourts.gov/.

 

What is a judicial retention election?

Judges stand for retention election near the end of their term of office.  In a retention election, judges do not have opponents.  Instead, voters decide whether or not to retain a judge in office.  If a judge receives a simple majority of "yes" votes, the judge may serve another full term.  The regular term of office for a supreme court justice is eight years; the term for all other judges is six years.

Why does Iowa use judicial retention?

In 1962, Iowa voters approved a constitutional reform that replaced the process of selecting judges by popular vote with a merit selection and retention election process. This process promotes selection of the best qualified applicants and ensures an impartial judiciary while retaining judicial accountability.