The position of County Clerk is best characterized as the administrative and financial officer of the Superior Court. The County Clerk's purpose is to ensure the separation of powers among the three branches of government by preserving the integrity of the judiciary. Those three branches are the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches.

This purpose is accomplished in three ways:

• By being independent of the judicial branch, the Clerk protects the judiciary from the appearance of impropriety or unfairness in the setting of cases, implementation of orders, or investment of funds.

• The Clerk is located in the Executive Branch of government and provides an avenue for external oversight of the judiciary, free from interference by the legislative or executive branches with its actions, integrity, or independence.

• As an independent elected official, the Clerk ensures the public has unrestrained access to a fair, accurate, and independently established record of the court's opinions, decisions, and judgments.