his time of residency in Leesburg and recovery from battle wounds , Captain Alexander made the acquaintance of the local clerk of court , George K . Fox , Jr . When Clerk Fox discussed the immense responsibility conveyed to him by the Court and shared his concerns with finding a proper location for the court records , Captain Alexander suggested his beloved Campbell County as a potential temporary location .
There is no doubt that Clerk Fox carefully contemplated the tremendous task and logistical challenges associated with transporting valuable records such as court orders , marriage records , birth records and many others that provide so much valuable information about the Loudoun court transactions and other local government programs , not to mention the important legal documents associated with property ownership .
He had no experience with the proper security of and protection of these important court and government records during a time of war . Additionally , no clerk before him had the duty to transport records on a long journey that likely required passage through mountains and wooded areas and often within miles of a battle or skirmish . The preservation of valuable papers required proper planning in light of weather conditions to ensure the records were protected from rain , high winds or intensive fluctuation of temperature and humidity . There was no records management handbook nor any consultants to advise Clerk Fox on the proper methodology or strategy to transport the records in these conditions . After further discussion on these topics , Captain Alexander offered protection by his team of troops as they planned their return to their homes in Campbell County . ( Bulletin , p . 11 .)
After arriving in Campbell County with the Loudoun County records safely transported there fully intact , Clerk Fox took up temporary residency in Campbell County to ensure he could properly fulfill his fiduciary duty to preserve Loudoun ’ s records . John Alexander , who served as the Clerk of Court in Campbell County , appointed Fox as his deputy clerk in 1862 . ( Campbell County Order Book , May 19 , 1862 .)
Fox continued to serve as a deputy clerk until the war concluded . As the Civil War concluded , the justices in Loudoun County Court directed the return of the records by virtue of a court order on July 11 , 1865 . This directive read as follows , “ having removed from this County , the records of this Court …( Fox ) is now
Clerk of the Court Duties
Today , the Code of Virginia lists over 800 responsibilities and duties for the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Virginia , many of which are legally sophisticated and highly complex .
Public Safety : The Clerk participates in the administration of public safety as a consultant to prosecutors and law enforcement officials , and is the official recordkeeper of criminal felony cases , misdemeanor appeal cases and criminal indictments .
Court Services : The Clerk provides administrative support to judges in court proceedings and prepares legal documents for the court , such as criminal court orders , summonses and other judicial directives .
Jury Management : The Clerk manages jury operations and is responsible for issuing juror questionnaires to establish a qualified jury pool , issuing jury summons for jury trials , preparing jury lists , providing a comprehensive juror orientation and coordinating the needs of citizens who report for jury duty .
Land Records : The Clerk is responsible for collecting the taxes and fees associated with the legal recordation of deed and for retaining all deeds and land records recorded since the inception of the city / county and for ensuring adequate public access to these public records .
Probate and Fiduciary : The Clerk acts as a probate judge when a last will and testament is presented to the Clerk for legal probate of an estate .
Custodian of Court Cases : The Clerk is the record keeper of all circuit court cases which include contract disputes , claims of negligence , criminal cases , divorce proceedings , land disputes , adoptions , requests for name changes , court judgments , and other court cases .
Public Services : The Clerk is responsible for issuing marriage licenses and notary public commissions and administering the oath of office to elected officials , sheriff deputies and to citizens on local or state commission posts .
Custodian of Historic Records : The Clerk ’ s Offices in possess a wealth of historic records that require protection and preservation work to ensure they remain in existence for future generations .
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