What DuPage circuit clerk candidates would do to make court system easier to navigate

DuPage County voters are choosing between two lawyers to serve as the county’s circuit court clerk.

Incumbent Candice Adams, a Lisle Democrat, is seeking a second term while Westmont Republican Jeremy “Jaye” Wang is hoping to unseat her.

Among its duties, the circuit clerk’s office is responsible for maintaining court records, processing payments for fines or fees, providing copies of court cases and information about expungements.

Adams, 41, said that during her first term she has implemented various cost saving measures, including hiring employees from a private company that was doing imaging work for the clerk’s office. The clerk’s office handles about 1.6 million documents a year, Adams said. By bringing the work in house, the county will save about $700,000 a year, she added.

She also hosted amnesty weeks, allowing individuals to pay outstanding court costs without additional collection fees. Since its inception two years ago, the annual amnesty week has brought in $100,000 in previously overdue court fees.

If reelected, she said she would like to focus on helping people better understand the court system. She has suggested a program that would allow people to ask questions through a Zoom session. Adams said she also would continue to modernize court forms and make them easier to understand.

Wang, 51, currently serves on the DuPage County Regional Board of Education as acting president and is vice president of the Downers Grove Sanitary District.

A child of immigrants, Wang said he is running to honor his family’s devotion to public service.

He said his experience working in DuPage County courtrooms as an attorney would prove beneficial in the circuit clerk’s office. Wang said he would work with various stakeholders, including the sheriff, state’s attorney, public defender and probation department, to identify strategies to improve efficiency.

Wang also said he would launch a digital self-help program to assist litigants who are representing themselves. Though the clerk’s office cannot provide legal advice, Wang said the program could provide information about available resources.

Both candidates said they recognize expungement fairs have been “life changing” for many people. Adams would continue hosting the clinics she has held each of the last four years in office. Wang also said he would continue the program.