Local News in Brief : Court Clerk Suspended

A Los Angeles Superior Court clerk who allegedly stole court fees has been suspended for 30 days after an investigation that resulted in the resignation or firing of six other clerks, a court official said Tuesday.

Ginger Vadurro, director of court personnel administration, said Carmen Trelles, 24, a court clerk since 1985, was suspended pending further investigation.

Trelles is suspected of pocketing $40 fees paid for confidential marriage filings by not ringing them up on a cash register or by voiding the transactions later, Vadurro said.

Three clerks resigned and three were suspended in June after court officials discovered the alleged fraud that cost the court at least $200 a day for at least two months, she said.

The employees all worked in the business license section of the downtown courthouse. Since the discovery of the alleged thefts, the court has tightened its controls over transactions involving money, Vadurro said.