Which statement is true about the clerk's authority in court matters?

• A. When a judge is not available, the clerk may grant deferred disposition or Teen Court.
• B. Municipal court clerks know the authority to issue a capias.
• C. Municipal court clerks may stamp the judge's signature on court documents when the judge is on vacation.
• D. Only a judge may issue a summons for a defendant.

Answer: (D)

The true principle here is that issuing formal court actions is a judicial function, not a clerical one. Clerks handle records, filings, and administrative tasks under the judge’s direction, but the authority to initiate binding court processes rests with the judge. A summons is an official order requiring a defendant to appear, and it must come from the court with the judge’s direction or signature. Therefore, this action cannot be done by a clerk on their own, which is why only a judge may issue a summons for a defendant. The other ideas imply clerks taking substantive steps—granting dispositions in a judge’s absence, issuing capiases, or stamping the judge’s signature on documents—that would exceed clerical duties and bypass required judicial authorization, undermining due process.