Which of the following describes a typical duty of the clerk before a trial?

• A. Issuing subpoenas and summoning the jury
• B. Presiding over the trial
• C. Deciding the verdict
• D. Providing legal advice to defendants

Answer: (A)

Before a trial, clerks handle court administration to keep the process orderly. A typical duty is issuing subpoenas and summoning the jury, which brings witnesses and jurors into court as required by law and helps the trial proceed on schedule. The judge, not the clerk, presides over the trial, and the verdict is decided by the judge or the jury depending on the case. Providing legal advice to defendants is the role of attorneys, not clerks. So the duty described—issuing subpoenas and summoning the jury—best fits the clerk’s pretrial responsibilities.