Unsung Hero:
Linda Hays
Newton’s Clerk of Courts one of longest tenured in state history By TAYLOR BECK tbeck@covnews.com
Despite being one of Newton County’s four elected constitutional officers, Linda Hays has spent more than four decades working in a position that some might think peculiar but one she simply calls “the background.” Hays has served as Newton County’s Clerk of Courts since first elected in 1982. She presides as the chief keeper of all records, from court filings and property records to arrest warrants and name changes. “It’s a lot,” Hays said. “When people come to work in the office, they often say, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize just how much this office does.’” In 2019, prior to the pandemic, Hays said her office filed more than 69,000 civil and criminal documents. The number dramatically decreased in 2020 to approximately 49,000, but Hays said her office remained open during the pandemic. Aside from keeping records for the superior and magistrate courts in Newton County, Hays’ duties also include jury and grand jury management. THE COVINGTON NEWS
Hays said even after more than 40 years, each day is different from the next, which is why she enjoys her position so much. “I love the county, I love the people, and if this is how I can make a difference, I really want to,” she said. “I want to contribute to the county … It’s just what I do, I guess.” Hays, a lifelong Newton County resident, started work in the clerk’s office in 1976. She came to the office after briefly working in family-children services, but never envisioned such a long tenure. “This sounds terrible for me to say, but … I really just wanted to raise my children,” Hays said. “I really didn’t have a career path that I was on. I didn’t think about being in politics. My daddy loved politics. He could tell you anything about politics, but I never really thought about any of that. Now, I voted. I’ve never missed an opportunity to vote, but it was just so strange that I would end up being an elected official.” Had former Newton County Chairman Jack Morgan not asked her to apply, Hays said she may have never gotten a job at the clerk’s office. VISIONS 61
