The County Line: Jurors selected from wider pool than just voter lists

Cape Girardeau County Circuit Clerk Charles Hutson said his office is responsible for many aspects of a circuit court case, including directing summonses and warrants to be issued by the county sheriff, maintaining court records, collecting fines and other fees and overseeing filings.

While people selected for jury duty are issued cards from his office, he said, the names are selected at random by a computer.

Hutson said many people don't register to vote for fear of being selected for jury duty, but driver's license records and state identification card records are also used to select potential jurors.

Once Hutson has the names of those up for jury duty, he prints address label and sends them to the county sheriff for further processing.

In Cape Girardeau County 750 names are selected for a three-month term of eligibility for duty. If someone is called to appear at the courthouse, they are paid $15 a day. If they serve, they are paid $25 per day, instead of $15, and are compensated for travel expenses. Hutson said those rates are established by the Cape Girardeau County Commission, not his office.

Another one of Hutson's responsibilities is to disperse all of the Missouri State Statutes and supplemental information to the county's elected officials.

His office covers two courthouses, Cape Girardeau and Jackson, and 21 deputies and judges from Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties.

He provides support for criminal cases, civil cases, probate matters, dissolutions of marriage and modifications to dissolutions, which typically include changes in child support, visitation or custody. He said the most rewarding cases are the adoptions cases handled by his office.

Hutson took office in 1975 and will be retiring at the end of this year. Patti Wibbenmeyer will be replacing him as circuit clerk. He said she has been with his office for more than 20 years and has been his chief deputy since 1999. Her experience will make for a smooth transition, he said.

"Patti has worked in the civil end of it. When Patti started out with me, she was the child support clerk. At that time, we collected several million dollars a year in child support and Patti collected all that," he said.

While 21 staff members may seem like enough workers to do the job, Hutson said, by Supreme Court guidelines his office is short five employees based on its workload. Despite being elected by county residents, the circuit clerk and his employees are considered state employees, and a state hiring freeze prevents the hiring of additional workers. When Wibbenmeyer takes office, her position will not be filled, either, Hutson said.

Salaries of the circuit court clerk and his deputies are paid by the state, but county revenue does fund other operational and capital expenses. The 2010 budget for the office, both courthouses and all circuit clerk judges was $445,150. The office was created under Chapter 483 of Missouri State Statutes.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

243-8600