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Mann is the man at clerk of court’s office

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//December 5, 2018//

Mann is the man at clerk of court’s office

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//December 5, 2018//

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Charley Mann - Deputy court clerk, Jefferson County Circuit Court
Charley Mann –
Deputy court clerk, Jefferson County Circuit Court

Charley Mann never envisioned that he’d be working in the court system.

The Wauwatosa native had been working on his associate’s degree in physical therapy when a shoulder replacement forced him rethink his career.

Now, Mann works on the front lines of the state’s court system as a deputy clerk of circuit court for Jefferson County’s family division.

Mann came well-prepared, with 12 years of experience as a legal secretary for a Milwaukee bankruptcy trustee, Douglas Mann, who also happens to be his father.

“We hear about 1,000 cases and there are a couple hundred which are pro se,” said Douglas Mann. “He has experience dealing with different people, including attorneys and pro se people. He’s very able to interpret and handle difficult situations that we all encounter in our practice.

What Charley Mann enjoys the most about his job are the people he works with.

“As you would imagine I’m probably one of the few males that work in the clerk of court office anywhere,” he said. “It’s really female-dominated. But everyone’s been great and awesome.”

That’s not to say the job is easy. He often finds himself having to help pro se litigants.

“They don’t always understand that we can’t give legal advice,” Charley Mann said. “They get frustrated with us if we aren’t telling them what they want to hear. You really have to be personable and explain what you can and help them through the process.”

Waukesha County Judge Bennett Brantmeier worked with Charley Mann for a year while Brantmeier was on the family-court rotation. Brantmeier had then just been elected.

“I found Charley to be very efficient, thorough and helpful to me as a new judge,” he said. “I would rely on him a lot in terms of record keeping. He also has a sincere personality … and a great sense of humor.”

“He’s just fun to be around and a good asset to the judge and the court system,” Brantmeier added. “The saddest part about that is I don’t get to spend every day in the courtroom with Charley.”

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