What this office does
The Clerk of the Courts is the official record-keeper for the 11th Judicial Circuit and Miami-Dade's county courts: every case filing, docket entry, and court record passes through the Clerk's office. Separately, as Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, the office keeps the official minutes and records of Commission meetings. The office also runs the County Recorder function, which records deeds, liens, and marriage licenses, and maintains the county's official records database.
The "Comptroller" half of the title adds a financial-oversight role: the office is the legal custodian of county funds and acts as county auditor, reviewing county financial transactions independently of the Mayor's administration and the Commission that approves the county budget.
How the office works
The Clerk of the Courts and Comptroller is elected countywide to a four-year term. Unlike some of Miami-Dade's other constitutional offices, an elected Clerk of Courts already existed before the 2018 Amendment 10 changes; the office's current combined Clerk-and-Comptroller structure took shape more recently. Because the office both processes court paperwork and audits county spending, it operates independently of both the judiciary and the county administration it audits.
Current officeholder
Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Esq., a Republican, was appointed Clerk of the Court and Comptroller by Governor Ron DeSantis in June 2023, then won election to continue in the role in November 2024. A graduate of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, he holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Florida International University and a law degree from American University Washington College of Law. He began his legal career as an assistant public defender in Palm Beach County before returning to Miami for private civil practice, and represented Florida House District 118 starting in 2018 before his appointment as Clerk and Comptroller.
Official Clerk of the Courts & Comptroller website ↗