It’s your day in court.
Are you wearing a ball cap? Take it off. Is your phone on silent? Don’t let it ring during a plea bargain. Show up on time, dressed appropriately, and keep your conversation at a whisper, so everyone else can hear what’s going on.
Deputy Chancey Greene is perfectly suited for the job he does. A commanding presence combined with a cool demeanor make him excellent at keeping the peace and security of the courtroom.
Greene has worked for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for 22 years. For much of his career he worked in the jail, but in 2018 he decided to make a change. Greene went to bailiff School, and became a certified peace officer.
”To be a full time bailiff, you have to go to a 40 hour school,” he said. “Then I went to the Academy in Wharton and graduated, also in 2018. So I’ve been a full time officer since 2018.”
Greene has many responsibilities inside the courtroom and out. While keeping order and security during court is primary among them, there are plenty of others. He is charged with identifying those who show up with warrants, calling the names of those absent from the courthouse steps, making sure everyone in the gallery behaves themselves, and more. He also insists on a quiet courtroom, so everyone can do their job effectively.
”I’ve been doing this long enough that the majority of people that come in know how I am,” he said. “I am very strict on loudness.”
During trials, the bailiff has all of his regular duties as well as retrieving witnesses, taking messages from the jury to the judge and back, and making sure that the defendant is both safe and not a flight risk.
When incarcerated defendants face trial, they aren’t to be seen by the jury in shackles, so the court uses a stun device that attaches to the defendant’s calf to ensure they cannot flee, and that’s his to monitor as well, although outbursts are rare and he says he’s never had a situation where things just got completely out of control.
He likes the professionals he works with in the justice system, and he knows the ins and outs and the preferences of the judges that preside here. He has worked for three sheriffs and gotten on well with them all.
Greene also has a deep compassion and understanding for those inmates and defendants he finds himself in charge of, even if they have not made the best choices.
Part of his job is inmate transports, and he talks to them a lot.
”Everyone makes mistakes,” he said. “You know, whatever you did on the outside, I don’t hold it against you. If you respect me, I’ll respect you.”
He does his job well in part because he genuinely likes what he does. He has considered retirement in a few years, but doesn’t know if he’ll be ready.
”I love this job,” he said. “I love the people I work with. What else would I want to do?”
