Bailiffs, who might be referred to as courthouse marshals, constables or sheriff’s deputies, are found in district and circuit courts of all levels – whether municipal, county, state or federal. Bailiffs are peace officers who protect security in the courts. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that jobs for bailiffs nationwide will grow by 9.4 percent between 2008 and 2018.
Bailiff Job Qualifications
Most states require that bailiffs be at least 21 years old and U.S. citizens or legal residents. Many local governments require that county or city bailiffs be residents of the county or city (judicial district) in which they work. Educational requirements vary from state to state, but at the minimum include a high school diploma or GED. Even if a state does not mandate it, having some college education can help a bailiff applicant stand out over other applicants without a college education. Fields of study relevant to a career as a bailiff include:
- Law
- Law enforcement
- Criminal justice
- Criminology
- Corrections
- Social science
- Human behavior
Some, but not all, states require that bailiffs possess law enforcement experience. Training may be required before beginning work in a courtroom as a bailiff. This training usually occurs at a peace officer or police academy.
Courses may include:
- First aid and CPR
- Courtroom policies and procedures
- Introduction to criminal justice system
- Firearms training and qualification (if the bailiff job requires carrying a firearm)
- Self-defense techniques
- Physical conditioning
Bailiff Job Description
The job duties of a bailiff include:
- Keeping the courtroom secure and guarding the safety of everyone inside the courtroom
- This includes searching the courtroom and the interior and exterior of the courthouse before and after proceedings and courtroom breaks to make sure nothing is present that does not belong inside the courtroom
- This may also include using screening technology such as x-rays and other devices to search persons entering the courtroom and confiscating firearms and other items not allowed in the courtroom
- A bailiff usually escorts a prisoner to and from the courthouse and maintains custody of the prisoner during the courtroom proceedings
- A bailiff often escorts judges and others to and from the courtroom
- Keeping order and quiet in the courtroom.
- Some bailiffs are authorized or mandated to carry firearms and non-lethal weapons such as tasers and pepper spray to protect those within the courtroom in the event of a violent attack
- Bailiffs must guard the jury from contact with those outside of the courtroom
- Bailiffs must also keep persons from smoking in the courtroom, entering the courtroom during a judge’s charges to the jury, and otherwise disturbing the courtroom proceedings
- Assisting the judge and others in the courtroom who may need assistance
- Bailiffs may screen and handle exhibits and evidence during court proceedings
- Bailiffs may also be asked to provide water and tissues to witnesses on the stand and other participants in court proceedings
- Maintaining the ethics and integrity of the court
- The bailiff announces the entrance and exit of the judge and instructs those present in the courtroom to rise and be seated at appropriate times
- Making sure proper court procedures are followed, including procedures to follow in the event of an emergency
- Bailiffs must notify the proper emergency personnel, including police and medical personnel, in the event of emergencies as necessary
- Performing administrative duties in the courtroom may be a part of a bailiff’s job description
- This may include keeping the courtroom clean and stocked with necessities such as notepads
Bailiff Jobs Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2012 there were 16,240 bailiffs employed across the United States. The average bailiff salary was $39,840 per year at that time. Higher than average salaries were found for bailiffs in the following states:
- New York: $57,500
- California: $55,230
- Nevada: $46,300
- Florida: $45,100
- Colorado: $44,720
This table reflects data released by the Bureau of Labor Statics in May 2012 and shows salary data for bailiffs across the United States: