BENTON, Mo. -- A reorganization of the circuit court offices is underway at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton.
"We've always wanted to get the clerks all together in one space; there's just a lot of obstacles to overcome to do that," said Scott County Circuit Clerk Christy Hency.
Hency's office and the circuit clerk's office, which includes the probate division, civil division and criminal division, are housed on the second floor of the courthouse and also across the street at the Judicial Building.
Right now, the main circuit court clerk's office, which is located on the south end of the second floor hallway, takes care of passports, civil (both small claims or circuit claims), domestic, garnishments, juvenile and felony criminal cases.
Hency's is office is located across from the main circuit court clerk's office.
On the opposite end of the hallway is the probate office where probate matters and emergency mental health cases are handled. It's also the location of Associate Court Judge Blake Pearson.
Then, across the street in the Judicial Building are where misdemeanors and traffic on any municipal cases the county processes are handled, along with protection orders.
Following the move, which is expected to be mostly completed by week's end, Hency said all probate, juvenile and domestic matters will be handled in the space where the main circuit clerk's office is on the south end of the second-floor hallway. It will be relabeled as Family Court/Probate Unit. Pearson will move his office to this location.
The space where the current probate office is will be for civil matters and civil administrative functions, Hency said, adding her office will move to this office.
The Judicial Building will handle all felony criminal cases -- from municipal and conservation to traffic -- and it will also be where bonds are accepted.
"This means people coming to make payments on their criminal court costs won't have to come into the main courthouse building; they can make them at the Judicial Building," Hency said. "So if they're coming to post a bond, they'll be by the sheriff's office and the jail and it will be much more convenient to the user."
Stephanie Lemmons, treatment court administrator, will move into Hency's office which is adjacent to the treatment court on the second level.
"It's one step closer to our ultimate goal of a total unification," Hency said of the changes being made.
The reorganization will also assist with cross-training of the circuit court clerk's office personnel, Hency said.
"Felonies are currently being done at the courthouse, and misdemeanors done at the Judicial Building, and now all criminal clerks can learn every aspect of all of our criminal and traffic misdemeanor case processing," Hency said. "When we have a clerk out, it's not going to shut us down. We're going to be able to keep on going."
And it's the same with domestic cases and juvenile cases, she said.
"It's going to be so much better for cross-training," Hency said. "We've constantly been trying to integrate cross-training. The problem is somebody gets taught to do it, and then they're in separate offices so they don't have it available to continue and keep the knowledge. They lose what they learn because they don't have a way to use it."
Hency said the recent retirement of Associate Circuit Judge William H. Winchester and the appointment of Blake Pearson to fill his position prompted the reorganization.
The 33rd Judicial Circuit, which includes Scott and Mississippi counties, is implementing a family court.
While the goal is to complete the reorganization within the week, Hency said providing good customer service is a top priority.
"We're never going to stop providing our services," Hency said. "Through all this transition, our services will still be available."
While the changes are being made, customers should still visit the respective offices for the current services they provide, Hency said.
She added: "We may have to send you to a different location or redirect, but we won't lose any of our functions."