Baker Qualifies To Run For Clerk of Superior Court

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CANTON, GA -- Cherokee County Clerk of Superior Court Patricia “Patty” Baker has announced her bid for re-election.

Baker qualified on Monday as a Republican candidate for the May 24 primary election.

Baker first took office in January 2005, and implemented the office’s first web-based case management system for Superior and State courts.

That system included a document imaging and retrieval application. Other accomplishments followed the system's implementation, including installation of systems for warrant exchange, online traffic citation fine payments, online notary applications, external database searches, electronic Justice Center calendar and directory services, public search kiosks, services for the public deed imaging and management, court file tracking and color-bar labeling and document managing software, a state of the art web-based jury management program with an e-juror component to allow jurors to answer questionnaires on-line.

Baker also notes the office under her direction was instrumental in the implementation of an exchange of electronic data linking her case management system to the case management systems of the District Attorney, Solicitor, Sheriff's Office and state probation departments.

This has saved the county thousands of dollars as well as hundreds of manpower hours.

“The fewer hands that touch the documents and have to re-enter case information multiple times increases accuracy and speeds up the process," she said.

On Jan. 1, 2006, Baker said the office went from hard-bound paper deed books to electronic books, a move that saved taypaers between $60,000 and $100,000 per year. She's also joined fellow Metropolitan Clerks of Superior Court in implementing a unified electronic filing platform under a master agreement, known as E-FileGa.

“I am ready to go live; we are just waiting for final approval from the Judges which we expect at any moment," she stated.

E-FileGa allows attorneys and other parties doing business with the courts to file cases, pleadings, motions and other documents online without having to travel to a physical court location. Court reporters have already started participating in e-filing transcripts into the case management system, which substantially cuts down on staff time.

Baker currently holds a master’s degree in applied behavioral psychology from Adelphi University in New York.

She is currently matriculating for a second master’s degree in criminal justice and court administration. In 2008, she earned her Superior Court Clerks’ Certification through the University of Georgia. In February 2014, she earned her Certificate of Court Administration by the National Association for Court Management and the Georgia Council of Court Administration.

In 2011, her office was nominated for the National Association of Counties’ prestigious County Courthouse Award. In that same year, she was the recipient of the Superior Court Clerks’ Association of Georgia ECLAT (Exceptional Commitment, Leadership, Accomplishment, and Teamwork) award.

Baker is actively involved in her community and has either served or is currently serving on various charity and non-profit organizations. She is a 2003 graduate of Leadership Cherokee, a 2006 Coverdell Leadership graduate (now known as Republican Leadership of Georgia), an active member of the county Republican Women’s Club, a member of Georgia Council of Court Administrator, a member of the Constitutional Officers Association of Georgia, National Association for Court Management, Georgia Records Association, Metropolitan Court Clerk Association and the Georgia Council of Court Administrators.

Baker lives in Canton with her husband Scott and their three children. When not working she enjoys running, cycling and spending time on her farm with her many animals.

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Photo 1: Baker, left, with Rick Davies, chair of the Cherokee County Republican Party
Photo 2: Baker, foreground, qualifies to run for Clerk of Superior Court.
Photo credits: Patty Baker