Melissa Quick may be seeking her first elected term as circuit clerk, but she is no stranger when it comes to the office. Quick worked for several years as deputy circuit clerk under Denny Gardner, and was named to the top post by Vermilion County Board on June 2nd upon Gardner’s retirement. We asked Quick for some information about herself to help those voting in the November election.
Explain what the Circuit Clerk actually does, and is responsible for?
QUICK: The Clerk of the Circuit Court is responsible for the maintaining of court records and the collection of fines and fees. We issue and process summons, subpoenas, citations and notices for service. Our office serves as court clerks to the Judges in the County and make minute entries on the cases heard in the courtrooms.
What skills / experience do you bring to the position of Circuit Clerk?
QUICK: I was appointed to the position of Circuit Clerk on July 1, 2020. I have served the citizens of Vermilion County for the past 30 years. I have been in a management position 28 of those 30 years. I have served under 5 previous Circuit Clerk’s both Democrat and Republican. I have experience preparing and maintaining a fiscally responsible budget. I have established a working relationship with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, Secretary of State’s Office and the Illinois Association of Court Clerks. I am familiar with the Manual on Record Keeping and how it pertains to the running of our office.
The Circuit Clerk’s office, by its nature – keeping court records, taking payments, notifying people to appear in court, and so many other responsibilities that are paper- heavy. Has work been done to move the office into electronic record keeping? Is there a need for more to be done?
QUICK: I have helped launch the e-Citation program for local police agencies to transmit their tickets electronically. I was involved in getting the Civil e-filing that was mandated by the Illinois Supreme Court up and running in our County. I was also involved in a case management conversion that will streamline the amount of repetitive clerical work throughout the building. There is more work to be done! I will continue to assist with the case management conversions with the other departments in the building. The case management program will allow for information from our office, Judges, State’s Attorney and Public Defenders Office to merge together, allowing information to be viewed electronically in the courtrooms. Eliminating the need for paper files. I am also looking forward to launching an e-Notification program in early October in order to send out text reminders for upcoming court dates.
Is the jury system working well – and fairly – in 2020?
QUICK: The jury system is working well. We generate jury list a couple of times a year which keeps the potential juror list fresh, therefore getting a diverse group of jurors. COVID-19 has caused a slow down in the need for jurors but we continue to have them available for when the need arises. We
have met with the local Health Department in order to take the appropriate precautions for when they are required to report.
What do you see that is working well in the Vermilion County Circuit Clerk office, and what do you see as potential improvements you want to work on if you are elected?
QUICK: We have a great staff that has really stepped up in these past few months as we have attempted to maneuver through the pandemic. They have worked hard re-noticing and adapting to the changes that had to be made to conduct courts safely. I am eager to start working on cross training within the office to build an even stronger foundation. With all of the new technological advancement it will require some merging of responsibilities and cross training.
