Opinion ID: 8870
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Circuit Clerk of George County

Text: 51 Wilbur G. Ward was the Circuit Clerk for George County at the time of the incidents which are the subject of this lawsuit. The record indicates that the order of nolle prosequi was filed by Angela Cooper, over the file stamp which indicated that Wilbur Ward was the Circuit Clerk. Brooks alleges that Ward created a policy which had the effect of depriving him of the right to be free from unnecessary restraint by failing to send court orders of dismissal of charges to the defendant in a criminal prosecution, or to his counsel, and failing to adopt a policy for the George County Clerk's office of sending orders. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Wilbur G. Ward, circuit clerk of George County, Mississippi (the clerk), based on the fact that the judge, not the clerk, was the final policymaker of the circuit county system in George County with regard to the acts alleged by Brooks. We agree. 52 Under Mississippi law, the judge is the ultimate authority for the supervision of the court in his jurisdiction. As the Mississippi Supreme Court stated, Although the clerk performs the physical act of record keeping, the judge is ultimately responsible for the administration of his court. In re Collins, 524 So.2d 553, 555 (Miss.1987). Only those officials who have final policymaking authority may by their actions subject the government to liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Bryan Cty., 67 F.3d at 1182. Accordingly, Ward cannot be liable for failing to establish a policy of sending orders to parties in a criminal proceeding because he was not the policymaker for the George County Circuit Court System. 16 53 We also note that nowhere has Brooks shown that circuit clerks have an affirmative duty under Mississippi law to provide the sheriffs of the state, or counsel for criminal defendants, or criminal defendants pro se, with copies of orders or pleadings filed in criminal cases. Nor has Brooks shown an affirmative duty to notify sheriffs, counsel or defendants of the filing and entry of orders and pleadings in criminal cases. The circuit clerks merely have a duty to file and docket all papers filed in each court case. 17 54 Since no duty to act existed, the failure to act did not violate the constitution. Salas v. Carpenter, 980 F.2d 299, 307 (5th Cir.1992). 18 While it is unfortunate that Brooks languished in the county jail, we can find no duty violated by the clerk to impose liability for the loss. The district court properly granted summary judgment on this issue.