What is the purpose of the court seal?

• A. To authenticate the acts of the judge and clerk.
• B. To certify the case for appeal.
• C. To record the time of filing.
• D. To indicate the court's jurisdiction.

Answer: (A)

The function of the court seal is to authenticate the acts of the judge and clerk. It serves as an official mark of the court’s authority, giving legitimacy to documents such as orders, judgments, and other records. When the seal is affixed, it confirms that the document truly comes from the court and has not been tampered with, linking the court’s power directly to the document and its contents.

Filing times are typically shown by a docket or filing stamp, not the seal, and decisions about appeals are driven by notices and appellate procedures, not the seal alone. While the seal may include the court’s insignia, identifying the court’s jurisdiction is generally done through the case caption and the court’s designation, rather than the seal’s purpose.