The National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks presented the prestigious J.O. Sentell Award to Edward W. Hosken, Jr., Retired Chief Deputy Clerk of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, at its Annual Conference Luncheon on August 3, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan. “I am humbled to receive the J.O. Sentell Award and hope…
By Theresa McCarthy (LA) Each year, the Convention Assistance Committee awards the individual with the worst travel experience getting to the annual convention for the Trailblazer Award. This year’s recipient hails from the Golden State, but his journey to Detroit was anything but golden. His trip took an unexpected detour in Denver, where he found…
By Larry Royster, Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court In an article I wrote for the December 2022 edition of The Docket to hype the NCACC’s 50th Anniversary conference in Detroit, I mentioned I had worked in the city on two separate occasions more than thirty years ago. In the article, I said my memories…
By Jenny Kitchings, NCACC President Dear Friends, In order to write this note to you all, I reflected on the meaning of the NCACC. We seek to improve the administration of appellate courts through outstanding educational conferences, committee activities, publications, and exchanges between members. Well, box checked there…we had a truly outstanding educational conference in…
By Mary Beth Kuenzel (FL) on behalf of the Technology Committee, Brian Cotta (CA), chair We are a busy group, and picking a convenient meeting time can be an exercise in patience. Technology is here to help with apps that will poll invitees for availability. Doodle is a commonly used platform to help with scheduling.…
Retirement Job: Clerk of the Florida First District Court of Appeal, 1991-2017 Jon Wheeler, 79, was accompanied by the angels and saints to be with the Lord on May 17, 2023, in Tallahassee, Florida. While the rest of his earthly body broke down, his heart endured, and he used the last weeks of his life…
By Gregory Hilton, NCACC President As clerks of court, we often are faced with some interesting and momentous events that may end up on the front pages of history. Tom Hall’s descriptions of the circus-like atmosphere that sur-rounded the Florida Supreme Court during the Bush v. Gore case come quickly to mind. I’m certain we…
When I began writing this little essay, I was looking out over the snow-covered rooftops in Minneapolis on an early morning waiting for the next session of the NACM conference to begin. This was the second external conference I attended as President of the NCACC. I attended COSCA in December. I truly enjoy these “field trips” because they give me an opportunity to appear as a fly-on-the- wall and observe the organization and process of other “conferences.” I have to say that, although ours can appear small, it excels in the spirit, collegiality, and cohesiveness of our members.
By Meredith Montgomery (AK) Even from the barren wasteland of the Far North in Alaska, the rule of law is being upheld. Albeit in some rather unattractive courthouses. At least in comparison to the ones previously shared in this series. In this article, I would like to tell you about the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage,…
Florida’s current appellate court system—a supreme court and intermediate appellate courts (IACs)— began in 1956 with the creation of three IACs. Before that, appeals were heard by the Supreme Court of Florida. As the state grew and caseloads increased, the state added IACs in 1965, 1979, and 2022. Each court needed headquarters and judges, cases, and a clerk. This article briefly traces the history of new appellate courts in Florida.