BAILIFF (HRLY)

STARTING PAY

$20.00/hr.

SUMMARY

The Amarillo Municipal Court is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of safety, integrity, and professionalism in the administration of justice. We seek a qualified Court Bailiff to ensure the security and orderly conduct of court proceedings, supporting the Presiding Judge, Associate Judges, court staff, and the public.

Under the direct supervision of the Presiding Judge, Associate Judges, and Chief Bailiff, the Court Bailiff is responsible for preserving the security and decorum of the courtroom and courthouse. The successful candidate will facilitate the efficient conduct of court proceedings by maintaining order, aiding in court procedures, and responding promptly and appropriately to emergency situations.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintains order for court hearings and deals with difficult people or situations in public areas, courtrooms, office areas, and judges’ chambers.

• Opens the Municipal Court building at the beginning of the day and ensures the facility is properly secured at the end of the day.

• Ensures courtrooms are stocked with necessary supplies and verifies that all courtroom equipment, including sound, recording, security, and audio/visual systems, are operating properly.

• Assists the clerk’s office and judges in preparing the courtroom for court sessions, validating paperwork, and handling records and documents during arraignments, dockets, and trials.

• Provides relevant information and security for judges, court employees, jurors, and citizens who attend the court, including conducting security sweeps before and after each court session.

• Answers questions and provides customer service for the general public.

• Prepares for emergencies by reviewing emergency and evacuation plans and knowing the correct procedures in the event of fire alarms, storms, tornadoes, and active shooter situations.

• Provides CPR and other assistance to individuals experiencing health issues until emergency medical personnel arrive.

• Checks in jurors, escorts the jury to and from the courtroom, and acts as a liaison between the Judge and with jury verdicts when required.

• Maintains a presence in the courtroom during all in person court hearings, enforces courtroom decorum, and handles any problems that may arise.

• Checks jail credit from various facilities and forwards the information to the judges.

• Verifies insurance presented by defendants by contacting insurance companies to confirm coverage.

• Completes proper paperwork for booking prisoners into jail upon court order.

• Escorts defendants to the docket clerk, collections clerk, cashier, community service department, and warrant office as directed.

• Works assigned queues to verify driver’s licenses, insurance, and time-served credit.

• Acts as a Spanish translator (if able) in various departments as needed.

• Coordinates security procedures with the APD warrant officer assigned to the court.

• Ensures the safety of judges, staff, jurors, defendants, and visitors, including physical intervention when necessary.

• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Requires a High School Diploma or equivalent and a minimum of two years of experience in security or law enforcement. Texas Commission on Law Enforcement certification is preferred. Completion of Court Security Specialist training within one year of employment is required. A 40-hour firearms qualification and ongoing qualification are required. Texas License to Carry is required. Municipal bailiff training certification, customer service training, and defensive tactical training are preferred. Bilingual Spanish is preferred. Valid Texas Driver’s License is required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Ability to deal effectively with difficult and potentially dangerous situations.
• Ability to manage prisoners and individuals ordered into custody by the court.
• Ability to safely use a handgun, Taser, other non-lethal weapons, and handcuffs.
• Ability to restrain individuals who become violent.
• Ability to control large groups of people in potentially volatile situations.
• Ability to operate and troubleshoot courtroom audio/video equipment.
• Ability to operate computers for data entry and word processing.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to operate small office equipment including copy machines and multi-line telephone systems.

ADA PROFILE

Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds of force to move objects. The employee must be able to walk, run, stand, hear, speak, see, talk, grasp, handle, push, pull, reach, balance, feel, finger, and crouch.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee works in an environment where daily decisions may impact the safety of themselves, co-workers, and the public. The employee may encounter hazards including biological exposure from bodily fluids or individuals who are ill, and potential weapons discovered during searches of persons entering the court. Court proceedings may be unpredictable in length, and the employee must be able to work through lunch periods or remain after scheduled hours with little or no advance notice.

The City of Amarillo is an Equal Opportunity employer and encourages applications from eligible and qualified persons regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information or protected veteran status, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law.

The City of Amarillo provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case by case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 806-378-4294.