What Is It About These Circuit Clerks?

Frequent bus riders will know that I frequently lampoon the current circuit clerk of district 31.

What would happen if Steve spent as much time learning how to do his job as he spends on his political activities? In October, 2008, in a lifeofjason interview, Steve said, "The office of Circuit Clerk is non-political in the sense that I have a job to do for the people." Might he actually turn into a tolerable clerk?

Luckily for those who do daily business with the Court, the county was able to hire Jerry Moyer who spends most of his time making lemonade.

Is there something about the circuit clerk job that causes some people to crash and burn? Retired Circuit Clerk Mike Carr had his share of customer service missteps but at least the paperwork was correct. And even now, almost two years after Steve told us he would fix the problems, there are still major malfunctions in the maintenance of case files in the clerk's office.

But it ain't nothing like what is going on in St. Louis. Jake Wagman, writing on the StL Political Fix last December, wrote

St. Louis Circuit Court Clerk Mariano V. Favazza has launched a last-minute effort to hold onto his ability to hire patronage workers, a power that is set to expire in the New Year.

Favazza filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block a decision prompted by the state Supreme Court that would transfer the power to hire or fire deputy clerks from his office to the court’s presiding judge.

“I realize that it’s not the presidency of the United States, but it is an elected office,” Favazza said of his position. “And it should have powers.”

The action marks an escalation of the tension between Favazza, first elected in 1998, and the judges, who have sparred with Favazza on how to run the courthouse.

Favazza has previously fought legislation, backed by the judges, that would eliminate his position altogether.

Wagman has another story today about the St. Louis Circuit Clerk:

ST. LOUIS — Mariano V. Favazza, the loquacious circuit clerk embroiled in a courthouse power struggle, has drawn a challenger in the August primary.

The circuit court clerk is the elected administrator of the state judiciary’s St. Louis division.

Favazza, first elected to the post in 1998, is fighting an edict from the state Supreme Court that would change the position dramatically by transferring the power to hire or fire deputy clerks from his office to the court’s presiding judge.

Translation: The office would no longer be the bastion of patronage it was under Democratic powerbroker Joe Roddy or his successor, Freeman Bosley Jr., who used the position as a springboard to become mayor

One thing about Helms and Favazza-- they both got elected, which is more than I could do.