House judiciary passes bill to increase magistrate deputy clerks - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

WV House judiciary passes bill to add magistrate deputy clerks

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By Andrea Lannom - email

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A bill that will add allowable number of magistrate court deputy clerks by 10 will be taken up by the House finance committee after House judiciary committee members passed it March 14.

H.B. 2786 would require that the state Supreme Court provide for appointment of magistrate deputy clerks and that number will not exceed 72.

These clerks will be appointed by circuit court judges or the chief judge in that district.

Last year, a similar bill was passed by the House Finance Committee, to increase the number of magistrate deputy clerks from 72 to 77.

At that time, members recommended clerks to be assigned to address increased caseloads in Jefferson, Monongalia, Nicholas, Marion and Raleigh counties.

However, no further action was taken on that bill.

In the judiciary meeting for the current bill, Delegate Woody Ireland, R-Ritchie, asked if there were certain counties without deputy clerks or whether they were scattered throughout the state.

Counsel for the judiciary said the counties are scattered but it mainly deals with smaller counties. These deputy clerks must have a high school education and go through extensive training by the state Supreme Court before taking this position.

Their salaries would differ depending on the size of the county. In smaller counties, they would make $36,000 and in the larger counties $39,000.

Counsel said where these clerks would be assigned would be based on population, not the number of cases. Counsel said there are 22 counties that have only one clerk.