Civil Division

The Civil Division of the Sheriff's Office is responsible for many tasks. Their primary purpose is to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the Court system at the Nash County Courthouse. They keep order in the court room, shuttle inmates between the jail and courtroom, and ensure that the Judges are kept safe.

They also provide security for visitors and employees at the main entrance to the Courthouse, and monitor all the security cameras within the Courthouse. The Division also assists with mental transports, civil and criminal paper service, and responding to calls for service when needed.

Responsibilities

The Civil Division is responsible for serving and tracking Writs of Execution, Foreclosures, Tax Warrants, and Evictions.

Writs of Execution

A Writ of Execution is a court order granted in an attempt to satisfy a monetary judgment obtained by a plaintiff. When issuing a Writ of Execution, a court typically will order the Sheriff to take possession of property owned by a judgment debtor. Such property will often then be sold in a Sheriff's sale and the proceeds remunerated to the plaintiff in partial or full satisfaction of the judgment.

It is generally considered preferable for the Sheriff simply to take possession of money from the defendant's bank account. If the judgment debtor owns real property, the judgment creditor can record the execution to "freeze" the title until the execution is satisfied.

Writs of Foreclosure

A Writ of Foreclosure is a court order granted after a debtor fails to pay the mortgage on a residence or building, and the bank wants to take possession of the property.

Writs of Eviction

A Writ of Eviction is a court order granted after a renter fails to pay the rent for a certain time period and the court has ordered that the debtor be evicted from the residence.

Staff

The Civil Division is staffed by one Division Commander, Captain Brandon Jenkins. It is also staffed with one Lieutenant - Lieutenant William Murphy.  Under their leadership are several other Deputies, who work a variety of assignments including Courthouse security, Courtroom Bailiffs, Electronic Monitoring Program, and the service of various civil process including evictions, foreclosures, and executions.