CELINA-County commissioners will appoint a Clay County Judicial Commissioner at their meeting next month, according to a public notice published in this week’s HORIZON.

Applications for the annual renewal of the office, currently held by Cassandra Haney, can be acquired at the Clay County Mayor’s Office, and they “must be returned by 3:30 p.m. on September 6,” the notice said.

Haney is completing her first term as the county-commission-designated judicial commissioner, which can be renewed for another year by the governing body.

“If county commissioners feel the current commissioner is doing a good job, they probably won’t appoint anybody else,” county mayor office personnel explained.  

They said “most of the time, they reappoint” the current office holder to another term, “unless they’ve had trouble” performing the duties of the job.

According to www.ctas.tennessee.edu, county judicial commissioners’ duties include, but are not limited to:  

• Issuing arrest and search warrants upon a finding of probable cause;

• Issuing mittimus following compliance with lawful procedures;

• Appointing attorneys for indigent defendants;

• Setting and approving bonds and the release on recognizance of defendants; and

• Issuance of injunctions and other appropriate orders in cases of alleged domestic violence.

The website also explained “a judicial commissioner appointed by the county legislative body is considered a county officer,” who is “compensated from the county’s general fund in an amount determined by the legislative body.”

For more about the position, requirements for applying, or any other information requiring the upcoming appointment, contact the Clay County Mayor’s Office at 931-243-2161.