Late last year, Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) introduced a new blog series—essentially a “Who’s Who at SMC” —that lets you get to know the people behind the scenes who make the day-to-day interactions at the court function. Our fifth person for you to meet is Ahran Jang, a cashier at the court. So far, we’ve also had you meet a jury coordinator, probation counselor, magistrate and the court’s chief clerk.
What does a court cashier do?
Cashiers are the staff who handle monetary transactions related to court business. Half of the job is public-facing and interacting with customers, and the other half is “back work,” which is largely administrative. There are 10 of us at SMC. When folks come in to address a parking or other type of ticket, we help them by providing various options to pay including offering a payment plan, debt reduction hearing, or researching to see if they qualify for community service in lieu of payment. Customers also come to us if they are helping bail others out of jail.
Cashiers are also the “middleman” between the jail and the court. We ensure that people are booked into jail with the correct charges and see to it that they are released properly. We thoroughly review a person’s court records and check for warrants – we want to be certain they are seen in court for everything applicable to them.
Cashiers also help answer warrant questions, quash warrants if possible, and set up court dates. Additionally, many people come in and ask us questions that have nothing to do with the court—and we need to be informed about all areas of government to best help the public.
How long have you been at SMC?
I’ve been with the court since September 2023, and I really like the mixture of public-facing and behind-the-scenes work. I enjoy customer service, especially being able to help people even when they are in distress or upset. This is a critical soft skill to have in this role, and in the interview process for this position, I was asked a lot of behavioral interview questions to see how I would manage sometimes challenging situations or people.
I was a middle school science teacher for seven years before I came to SMC. While it may seem like there isn’t much connection between what I do now and what I did in that role, I learned a lot of soft skills as a teacher that help me every day at the court. I am happy to be at SMC as I was looking for a career change that offered a better work/life balance. In between coming to the court and concluding my work as a teacher, I took a year off to concentrate on self-care and to discover various career paths and options available to me.
What are some things about you that people may not know?
I grew up in Los Angeles, South Korea, and Mukilteo and feel at home in both Korean and American cultures. My husband and I purchased a 1940s home and are renovating it ourselves—everything from replacing door handles and light fixtures, to putting in a new bathroom and painting the walls—we are completely gutting it and starting anew. I also have my own YouTube channel, @ahran_in_seattle, where I vlog about cooking, camping, travel, and working out.