Connecticut General Statutes 51-52 – General duties of clerks
(a) Clerks shall: (1) Receive the files, processes and documents returnable to their court locations, (2) make records of all proceedings required to be recorded, (3) have the custody of the active files and records of the court, (4) have the custody of the records of the former county court within their districts, (5) have the custody of and keep safely in the appropriate office, or store as provided in subsection (b) of this section, as records of the court, all judicial files, records and dockets belonging to or concerning the office of justices of the peace and trial justices, judges of borough, city, town and police courts, the traffic court of Danbury, the Circuit Court and the Court of Common Pleas, or belonging to or concerning such courts, including record books kept by town clerks under the provisions of sections 51-101 and 51-106 of the general statutes, revision of 1958, (6) make and keep dockets of causes in their court locations, (7) issue executions on judgments, (8) collect and receive all fines and forfeitures imposed or decreed by the court, including fines paid after commitment, (9) collect and receive monetary contributions made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund pursuant to section 54-56h, (10) account for and pay or deposit all fees, fines, forfeitures and contributions made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund and the proceeds of judgments of their office in the manner provided by sections 4-32 and 51-56a, and (11) perform all other duties imposed on them by law.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 51-52
- Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) Each clerk of court may store the inactive records of his court in any place of safekeeping designated by the Chief Court Administrator and may place the records in the direct custody of the records management officer or other designee of the Chief Court Administrator. The records management officer or designee shall be charged with the safekeeping of the records, and, when requested, may certify copies of the records.
(c) Temporary assistant clerks shall have the same duties as clerks of court.
(d) Each clerk for housing matters and the clerks for the judicial district of New Haven at Meriden shall supervise the handling of housing matters and the maintenance of court records relating thereto and shall provide assistance to pro se litigants and perform such other duties in connection with housing matters as the Chief Court Administrator or the judge assigned to hear the matters may assign to him.
(e) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes and except as otherwise ordered by the court or prescribed by the Chief Court Administrator, all funds in excess of a working balance established by the Chief Court Administrator held by a clerk of court in a fiduciary capacity shall be paid to the Treasurer or deposited in the Treasurer’s accounts in depositories designated by the Treasurer in accordance with such regulations as the Treasurer prescribes. The Treasurer shall invest such funds in any manner he deems appropriate including, but not limited to, depositing the funds in public depositories and purchasing participation certificates in the Short-Term Investment Fund. If the court requests the return of all or a portion of such funds, the Treasurer shall return the amount of such funds requested to the court within two business days of the request. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, all interest and earnings on funds paid to the Treasurer or deposited in the Treasurer’s accounts pursuant to this subsection shall belong to and accrue to the benefit of the state.