Local

Legal assistant seeks clerk’s post

By ANDIE LEATHERMAN, LTN Staff Writer

Jan. 28, 2002 - A local legal assistant hopes to run for Lincoln’s Clerk of Court as an unaffiliated candidate.

Before Janet Carpenter Spears can get her name on the ballot, she will have to get 1,593 signatures of local registered voters. The petition is required of any candidate who wants to run unaffiliated.

“I’m hoping people will recognize my experiences and qualifications and not hold the fact I’m unaffiliated against me,” Spears said.

She has worked as a legal assistant for 20 years, first for attorney Marty Shuford and now at the Pendleton and Pendleton law office. Spears also worked for two years as a mortgage loan officer at Bank of America.

“I love what I do,” she said.

Spears says her job puts her in frequent contact with the clerk’s office.

“I’m familiar with it. The county deserves somebody with experience,” she said.

Spears praised the way long time clerk Pam Huskey has run the office.

Huskey, a Democrat,  is retiring this year. She has not put her officially announced her support of any of the candidates so far, and said it would be after the primary elections if she decided to make an endorsement.

If elected, Spears said she has no plans to dismiss current staff. Clerk’s office employees work at the will of the clerk and are not protected by personnel laws.

“I have no intention of making somebody lose their job. It would be a mistake to clean house. Those girls know their jobs,” she said.

Spears is married to Doug Spears. They have two children and attend Calvary Baptist Church.

Two Democrats are vying for the clerk’s office. Patsy Black, who works at Peoples Bank in Denver, and Sonny McSwain, a magistrate, will seek a place on the Democrat ticket.

The position pays approximately $69,900 annually. Clerks are elected for a four-year term.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

Terms and Conditions