I am a legal professional, paralegal to be specific. I am commenting on the political atmosphere of the court clerks which I find to be anal. I have many examples of the difficulty in communication I experience with the courts. For legal professionals starting out, clerks do not receive strangers with any shape or form of assistance. One has to "kiss up" in the clerk's office in order to get assistance. I feel like I have to sit and hold the clerk's hand in order to get any help. My work is concentrated in Santa Clara County; however my specific complaint today is that I have been working diligently on a case in Placer County; preparing documents, etc. The clerk receiving my call played a game that she couldn't hear the case number I was giving her, being that is was a criminal case, she asked me what the client had done. Lord have mercy. Naturally, I'm not going to answer that question, what does she think, she's going to investigate the case over the phone because the police department doesn't do that type of work??? I had to redirect her focus on the paperwork I sent their office (last week). She said my paperwork had not been received at all. I asked her what the timeline was for receiving paperwork, she said she did not know, but it definitely had not been received. [I was on a deadline to get the order from the court granted today since it is a request to extend a hearing scheduled this Monday.] I was told that the timeline is three days, which was one week ago, so I said the paperwork must have been received some days ago. She said it had not been entered into the system and she could not find it, to call back later. I waited two hours (then 10:10 this morning) and had not received a call, so I called again. I was told by "Gloria" that I could speak to the calendar clerk who could take care of getting the matter off calendar, so I was transferred, waited several minutes, and left a message in the voicemail box. I waited another two hours and started calling again. No answer. I didn't receive a call back until this afternoon saying the clerk did not understand my message, though I had left all the information in the message including the case number. I called back again and again being told that the calendar office is in a different building. I asked to speak to the judge's clerk/chambers too and was denied the direct phone number. Finally I spoke to Bob who said he refused to help me though he told me the paperwork HAD been received, but that I would have to show up in court on Monday to ask the judge if he would grant the motion. I told him that I would not go to court on Monday (I'm a paralegal, not an attorney!) I told Bob that Gloria told me he could take care of the matter, but he still refused, saying someone had to show up to court on Monday. I asked for assistance in speaking to the clerk for the judge, and he refused. He said she was not available and had already tried to discuss the matter with her. I wondered how that could be? He never said he was going to discuss it with her and then refused to do so when I asked him to. I called the main number again to speak to the clerk in department nine and was given the wrong number by Kay. I had been given the phone number to the bailiff's desk. For crying out loud, I spent eight unpaid hours on this today, and the clerk's office closed at 3:00 pm. How am I supposed to keep up on the other work I have to do if I have to baby sit clerks on the phone all day for one case to sit and hold their hand until they can assist me??? In this case it may be much longer holding hands with clerks both off and on the phone since I didn't get anywhere today.
0 comments