Before landing in his current position, a guy currently the first Black district clerk to work in Jefferson County held numerous positions. Jamie Smith has held positions as a city councilman in Beaumont and the county clerk’s office, sheriff’s office, and district clerk.
The Jefferson County Courthouse is where you can locate the most recent instance of Black history among divorce petitions and passport applications. “We’ve been making strides and we still have further strides to make,” Smith said. “I think it’s a tremendous honor.”
In 2006, William Sam attended council sessions even though he was retired. He has acted as Smith’s friend and mentor. “The key thing that I got from Jamie, was he was open to listening, he’s a very patient individual, and he makes time for everybody,” Sam said.
Sam discovered he didn’t appreciate how his ward was represented during the council meetings. “So I decided that we, I needed to find somebody that wants to do something,” Sam said. Soon after, Sam gave Smith his unwavering support.
“One thing that I always believe in, is commitment, is he committed to them? And he proved himself out for that, he’s very committed,” Sam said.
Smith increased his dedication after serving on the municipal council for seven years. According to Smith, who was hired in 2015, the fundamental objective is always to increase the effectiveness of applications and record keeping. The district clerk’s office is updating its procedure under Smith.
To enable citizens to participate in jury selection on their phones, they are attempting to digitize the process. “You can go on your smartphone, you can do it on your watch,” Smith said. “We are always trying to make the process easier and better for our citizens.”
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13 people have only held the position of district clerk for Jefferson County, and Smith has the extra distinction of being the first African-American to hold it. But, he aspires to be more than just the pioneer. Smith added, “Your mission now, is to be perceived as the best, you want to be a great district clerk.”
