Moore Government: Circuit Clerk

HALEY PAYNE ROBERTS
MCO Senior Staff Writer

“The late Sunshine Ervin used to always say that there are three reasons you’re in Moore County: blood, marriage, or mistake. I got here by marriage and stayed by blood, but I’ve never been here by mistake,” Circuit Court Clerk Linda Wolaver said.

Though she wasn’t born in Moore County, Wolaver has found purpose through its sense of community.

“I was born and raised in Fayetteville, and I graduated from Lincoln County High School in 1990,” she said. “My grandparents and my mother lived in Gattistown, just below Lois, so I’ve got a lot of deep roots here. I came to Lynchburg in 1993, and I’ve been here ever since.

“I’ve had two kids. Caitlyn’s about to graduate from college in May, so most of my life has been following her around and Taran when he was here,” Wolaver said. “Caitlyn’s going to graduate with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry, and her plans are to hopefully work for the TBI. So I guess I’m an empty nester now.”

Having been elected to office in 2018, Wolaver has almost completed her second term.

“It was something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “When Mrs. Trixie [Harrison] retired, it wasn’t a good time in my life to run, so I waited.

“I worked at the UT Extension office for 11 years as an administrative assistant. Then, I worked at the water department and the Farm Bureau office before being elected. Now, here I am. I’m blessed to be here.”

Wolaver serves as clerk for General Sessions Court, including Juvenile Court, as well as Circuit Civil and Circuit Criminal courts.

“This is a very fast-paced office, especially on court days. I’m always getting ready for the next court,” Wolaver said. “I work with three judges, sometimes more if we have a special judge.”

In 2023, Wolaver completed a paralegal course at Motlow State Community College as additional education to help meet the ever-evolving demands of her office.

Jury trials are also an integral part of Circuit Court and perhaps the part of the position most familiar to the public.

“We’re small, so I’ve had six jury trials in seven years,” she said. “The judge will sign an order, and I’ll pull 700 names from the DMV. A misconception is that people think jury names come from the voter registry, but they changed it as voter registration declined. It now comes from the DMV since most everyone has a driver’s license.

“I’ll mail out about 400 questionnaires twice a year. We make cards with everyone’s name on them, and the judge draws out 16 names to begin with. That will be our grand jury for the next six months. There are 12 members of the grand jury plus four alternates.

“When we first meet, we call all of them in and make sure there’s not a conflict where someone can’t be there,” Wolaver noted. “Everybody else goes into a pool, and the judge will tell me how many jurors they will need. The people selected will then come in for jury selection, and we’ll narrow it down from there.”

Though there are many moving parts to the job, Wolaver finds the most satisfaction in the people.

“I like people. I like to be social. I like being able to help people if I can,” she said. “There are a lot of serious things to see up here. You just have to be kind to people, no matter if they’re here on drug charges or a traffic ticket, because whatever it is, it upsets people to come here.

“The hardest part of the job is anything that has to do with children. I’ve got a mama heart, but you have to be strong.”

Beyond the courthouse, Wolaver’s community service has expanded to include serving as a member of the 911 board and as the public contact for Lynchburg Cemetery.

“I’ve been on the board for the cemetery for around nine years. I do all the records, mark the graves, and handle any issues that come up,” she said. “It might sound morbid to say that it’s rewarding, but it is.

“These are people that you’re talking to about end-of-life decisions. They need someone compassionate. I don’t want to treat it like a business for that part.”

Outside of work, Wolaver has a thriving community presence, including leading the rock painting that Moore County Senior Center patrons love.

“We started Lynchburg Inspirations around 2017. It was a community thing where we spread kindness by spreading rocks we’d painted and sealed with our stickers,” she said. “We have a Facebook page where people can post the ones they’ve found. They can then hide them somewhere else. They’ve been to a lot of places. I had a friend who took one to Alaska.

“Two years ago, I started going to the senior center, and I now go once a month, and we paint rocks that they get to take home. It’s a lot of fun for them.”

Moore County has a special place in Wolaver’s heart.

“I like the close-knit community of Moore County. I always wanted my kids to go to school here. I’m not a big-city person. I thought I was when I was younger, but I’m not,” she admitted.

“I love the basketball games; I go to most of the home ones. I’ve been involved through things like the Chamber of Commerce, the band treasury, as well as the Jack Daniel’s Barbecue.”

Through her many acts of service, Wolaver displays pride in her job, joy in helping others, and dedication to her community.