PICKENS — As the new year rolls around, Pat Welborn will also celebrate his first year as clerk of court.

And he said he still loves the job, even though it often requires working late nights and weekends.

“The job is what I expected and a little more,” he said.

But exactly what does a clerk of court do? The answer is a lot.

One of the most visible jobs Welborn does is during criminal trials. The clerk is the one who swears in witnesses and juries.

He keeps up with the starting and stopping of the trial, and once a jury reaches a verdict and it’s approved by the judge, Welborn “publishes” that verdict and makes sure the indictment is signed by the jury foreman.

And he also has to take care of the jury members’ needs.

But there’s also a lot of behind-the-scenes duties involved in the job.

The clerk does the filing for all legal documents for family, criminal and civil court, they schedule family and civil court, and they oversee the courthouse and the offices in it.

From a personnel standpoint, Welborn is in charge of the clerk’s office that has 13 staff members, as well as 10 bailiffs.

“We also do all the foreclosures, and a lot of attorneys use our courtrooms for mediations and depositions,” Welborn said.

The clerk also keeps up with all the bondsmen, and he determines who is qualified to have a public defender.

During his time in office, Welborn said he is pleased with how many cases his office is getting through the system in family and civil court.

Right now, the Thirteenth Circuit Court is leading the state in the number of cases being processed in those categories, he said.

“And that’s not me doing it, it’s the staff,” he said.

So far, 1,900 cases have passed through the system in the court of common pleas, and in family court, there’s been almost 1,200 cases finished, with about six more weeks left in the year.

Welborn noted that the numbers weren’t as good when it comes to getting criminal cases finished up.

“But we’ll get there,” he said.

The solicitor’s office schedules criminal trials, not the clerk’s office, so Welborn takes on more of a supporting role in that effort.

He said that while his office is doing well getting family and civil cases finished, there is plenty more to do in family court, especially when it comes to those not paying child support.

In an effort to decrease the number of those falling behind, the clerk’s office supports a fatherhood program.

“It teaches fathers how to be better fathers,” Welborn said.

But he said more court time is needed, and probably another judge to deal with those cases.

Welborn said he has been fascinated with the job of clerk of court since he was a child.

Former clerk E.P. McDaniel, who served for 35 years, was Welborn’s neighbor growing up and was good friends with his family, both on his mother’s and father’s side.

“I feel very fortunate to have the position,” Welborn said. “It’s a good job, and I like it.”