SPRINGFIELD — Effingham County clerk of Superior Court candidate Jason Bragg’s background includes 20 years in law enforcement. He said he’s been in the profession since he was 17 when he started riding along with friends who were deputies. 

When Bragg turned 18, he worked in the jail dispatch until going to the Police Academy at 19, becoming a certified officer.

In 2006. he began working for the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office.

Bragg said he has worked in a variety of positions for the sheriff’s office — from road patrol to commanding the communications center (he served as interim 911 director).

He said, “Managing people, with the citizens of Effingham County in a variety of different ways has prepared me to take the position of clerk. I know how to manage people, how to build a team and how to make sure the team stays motivated, all while serving the citizens Effingham.”

Bragg said that what sets him apart from other clerk hopefuls is that he has served in the judicial system since he was 18. He thinks the variety of experience that he has garnered, including his work with the company CourtWare Solutions, which manages software in about 300 municipal courts in the state, gives him insight into how a court should run.

He said he wants the public to know that he has the knowledge, background, education and the willingness to learn in order to move the clerk’s office forward with technology, innovation and customer service.

“The clerk is the keeper of the records for the county,” he said. “The clerk is responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of all documents related to court proceedings in Superior Court, State Court, Juvenile Court, as well as property records, property plats.”

He also said that the clerk is responsible for military DD-2 records and for issuing notaries. He said the clerk is also responsible for making sure the state gets paid from fines and fees paid monthly.