Incorporated in 1815, Knox County is a County located in the U.S. State of Tennessee. The County has its seat in Knoxville, the third-most populous city in Tennessee. It has a population estimate of 500,669 people and is home to 219,932 housing units.

Courts in Knox County

Knox County has six courts: Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts, Criminal Courts, General Sessions Courts, Juvenile Courts, and Municipal Courts.

Circuit Courts in Knox County have general jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters. The Courts handle civil cases where the claims are under $25,000. They also exercise exclusive jurisdiction over cases relating to the restoration of citizenship and have jurisdiction over disputes about the validity of a will.

Chancery Courts in Knox County generally handle all cases outside the jurisdiction of other courts. They share jurisdiction with Circuit Courts for nearly all civil cases. However, they do not deal with cases of specific types of unliquidated damages.

Criminal Courts share jurisdiction with Circuit Courts, but most criminal cases are heard in the Criminal Court.

General Sessions Courts maintain jurisdiction over some specific criminal and civil cases. Criminal cases overseen by the General Sessions Court include the preliminary hearings for every one of the misdemeanor trials, as well as DUI and felony cases and nearly all municipal ordinance violations. Some civil cases they hear are general civil cases with no financial limits, such as detaining, forced entry, and recovering personal property.

The Juvenile Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over juvenile cases as well as juvenile delinquency. They generally handle cases relating to neglect and child abuse, unruly minors, and minor consent to employment. Criminal Cases that juvenile courts oversee include many violations of parental responsibility committed by either guardians or parents.

Municipal Courts generally handle most municipal ordinance violations and certain types of criminal cases. Municipal Courts may handle juvenile traffic violations if jurisdiction is waived by a Juvenile judge.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Knox County

Public court records are documents emanating from court proceedings and made accessible to the public upon request. To access public court records in Knox County, interested members of the public can submit a request form to the Knox County Clerk’s Office. Alternatively, interested members of the public can access the records online.

Types of Public Court Records in Knox County

Knox County allows the public access to several court records. Examples of such records include:

• Divorce Records
• Criminal Records
• Property Records
• Marriage Records
• Arrest Records

Confidential Court Records in Knox County

Some cases are labeled confidential in Knox County due to their nature. Only parties to the case and their attornies are privy to information about such cases. Examples of such records include:

• Sealed Records
• Adoption Records
• Juvenile Court Records
• Mental Health Records
• Sexual Assault Victim Records.

Juvenile Delinquency in Knox, TN

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Knox County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Tennessee often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2016, a total of 1224 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Knox County. Of that total, 48% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 591 court cases. Another 32% were dependency cases that accounted for 391 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Knox County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Knox County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Knox County, TN

https://www.tn.gov/

County Seat:	Knoxville
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1792
Total Square Miles:	526
2019 Population:	461,860
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	400 W Main St City County Building Knoxville , TN 37902-2405 https://www.knoxcounty.org/

Knox County, TN Courts