AI-assisted research summary: This section says how a district clerk vacancy is filled and how the clerk’s seal and signature may be handled electronically.
Sec. 51.301. VACANCY; BOND; SEAL; SIGNATURE OF CLERK. (a) If a vacancy occurs in the office of district clerk, the vacancy shall be filled by the district judge of the county. (b) If a vacancy in the office of district clerk occurs in a county that has two or more district courts, the vacancy shall be filled by agreement of the judges of the courts. If the judges cannot agree on an appointee, they shall certify that fact to the governor, who shall order a special election to fill the vacancy. (c) An appointee to fill a vacancy in the office of district clerk must qualify and give a bond. (d) Each district clerk shall be provided with a seal for the district court. The seal must have a five-pointed star and must be engraved with the words "District Court of __________ County, Texas." The seal shall be impressed on all process issued by the court except subpoenas and shall be kept and used by the clerk to authenticate official acts. The seal may be created using an electronic means, including by using an optical disk or another electronic reproduction technique, if the means by which the seal is impressed on an original document created using the same type of electronic means does not allow for changes, additions, or deletions to be made to the document. (e) The signature of the district clerk may be affixed on an original document using electronic means, provided that the means by which the signature is affixed meets the requirements of Subsection (d) with respect to creating a seal by electronic means. (f) A seal impressed or a signature affixed by electronic means may be delivered or transmitted electronically. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 25 (S.B. 229), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 25 (S.B. 229), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2007.