Court Operations Associate, Hennepin County, Ridgedale Criminal Division

Hennepin County District Court welcomes qualified applicants for a Court Operations Associate position in the Ridgedale Criminal Division. The Ridgedale team values and invests in the professional development of staff, commits to providing justice to the public, and continuously strives to evolve.

This is a diverse, inclusive, and professional environment that promotes equity for all court staff and court customers. Court Operations Associates work individually and in teams using independent judgment along with available resources to perform a variety of administrative assignments. This role requires dedication to providing excellent customer service, strong attention to detail, and technological skills to match our high-performance environment. Court Operations Associates interact with a wide variety of court customers and stakeholders including community members, judges, law enforcement officials, and attorneys.
 
The Ridgedale Courthouse handles misdemeanor criminal and traffic cases for the communities of Deephaven, Eden Prairie, Edina, Excelsior, Greenwood, Hopkins, Independence, Lake Minnetonka Conservation District[RS1] , Long Lake, Loretto, Maple Plain, Medina, Medicine Lake, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, Plymouth, Shorewood, Spring Park, St. Bonifacius, St. Louis Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata, and Woodland.
 

Example of Duties

Court Operations Associates at Ridgedale coordinate with team members to ensure assignments and case updates are completed efficiently and accurately. The following assignments are rotated daily:

Front Counter

• Process payments (cash, credit card, check) for fines, bail, etc.
• Recall warrants
• Schedule hearings with court and hearing officers
• Answer questions and direct court customers in a professional, courteous, and respectful manner

Administrative Tasks

• Assist court customers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, and law enforcement to ensure the customer's needs are effectively met in-person, over the phone, or through electronic means.
• Print and mail documents, including reviewing and processing court filings for timeliness, statutory compliance, and proper document security
• Back up the front counter as needed

Lobby

• Check in court customers for court
• Enter minor case updates utilizing court technology systems

Payable Calendars

• Collaborate with prosecutors and defendants to resolve financial cases
• Schedule hearings

Courtroom Clerking

• Chair 2:
  • Assist court customers by providing them with case documents and discussing next steps
  • Review case updates entered by Chair 1 and provide assistance as needed
• Chair 1:
  • Schedule hearings
  • Act as the judge’s clerk in high-volume, fast-paced courtrooms
• Accurately call cases, update calendars, and perform high-level case processing and data entry

Typical Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma and one (1) year of relevant job experience OR equivalent amount of post-high school education and experience totaling one year.
  • Examples of relevant job experience: customer service, administrative work, office, and clerical work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two years of customer service and/or administrative experience
• Experience in a legal setting such as a courtroom clerk or paralegal
• Experience with document imaging, indexing, and working with cases/documents from electronic workflow queues
• Detail-oriented with the ability to continuously learn and retain new material, concepts, and ongoing procedural changes
• Well-organized and analytical
• Experience handling financial transactions
• Ability to hold a simple conversation in Spanish is a plus (e.g. asking for name, date of birth, address, etc.)

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to prioritize assignments, work well under pressure in a high-volume, fast-paced environment, and adapt to change
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to lean other job-related software
• Ability to process financial transactions accurately with an eye for detail
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills including patience, cultural awareness, and the ability to de-escalate difficult customer interactions 
• Dedication to an inclusive, multicultural environment that values collaborating and learning from one another as a team

Supplemental