Founded in 1786, Sumner County is located on Tennessee State’s northern border with Kentucky. The county has 11 cities and towns, including the county seat, Gallatin. Over 190,000 individuals reside in the county.

Courts in Sumner County

In Sumney County, several courts resolve and deliver rulings on legal matters originating within the county's limits. The county’s court system comprises the Circuit Court, Chancery Court, Criminal Court, General Sessions Court, Juvenile Court, and Municipal Courts.

Sumney County’s Circuit Court is a general jurisdiction court that handles civil and criminal matters. Common cases the court hears include felony and misdemeanor crimes, domestic relations, personal injury, medical malpractice cases, adoptions, termination of parental rights, and contract disputes. Individuals can also appeal judgments of the General Sessions Court at the Circuit Court.

Sumner County Chancery Court mostly handles cases involving probate and domestic-related matters. The court handles guardianships and conservatorships, real estate settlements, trusts, divorces, adoptions, and foreign judgments enforcement.

The Criminal Court is a Circuit Court division that adjudicates felony crimes brought before the court and other criminal jury trials.

The General Sessions Court is a court of limited jurisdiction that handles civil and criminal cases in Sumner County. It hears civil cases in which the monetary compensation does not exceed $25,000. However, the court has unlimited original jurisdiction in civil actions involving detainer warrants and the recovery of personal property. Sumner County’s General Sessions Court also handles misdemeanor cases and conducts preliminary hearings for felonies.

Civil and criminal matters involving minors are under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. This court also handles domestic relations cases like child support and parental rights termination. Other proceedings it handles are child dependency, abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency, and truancy cases.

Sumner County has six Municipal Courts, also called City Courts. These courts handle cases involving city or town ordinance violations within their jurisdictions, including traffic violations, animal regulations, and property maintenance violations.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Sumner County

The Courts in Sumner County have Clerks responsible for keeping court records and providing them to members of the public. The public can also search or review dockets and case information of court proceedings in the county online. Alternatively, individuals may find public court records in Sumner Court by visiting the Clerk’s Office where the case was filed. The Clerks allow anyone to inspect or obtain copies of court records in person or via mail.

Types of Public Court Records in Sumner County

The following types of public court records in Sumner County are accessible to individuals:

• Criminal Court Records
• Domestic Relations Court Records
• Civil Court Records
• Probate Court Records
• Small Claims Court Records

Confidential Court Records in Sumner County

In Sumner County, some court records are confidential and, therefore, unavailable to the public. While Tennesee laws may prevent the disclosure of some confidential court records, the courts in the county may also seal case records if they contain sensitive or private information. Confidential court records in Sumner County may be accessible to certain court personnel, parties involved in the legal proceedings, and other individuals authorized by the court.

The following types of court records are confidential in the county:

• Expunged criminal records
• Medical records
• Juvenile records
• Mental health records
• Investigative records
• Records containing personal information like credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, tax Identity numbers, or bank account numbers
• Sealed adoption records

Juvenile Delinquency in Sumner, TN

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Sumner 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 1976 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Sumner County. Of that total, 61% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1206 court cases. Another 7% were dependency cases that accounted for 141 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Sumner County, TN

https://www.tn.gov/

County Seat:	Gallatin
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1786
Total Square Miles:	543
2019 Population:	183,545
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	355 N Belvedere Dr County Administration Building Gallatin , TN 37066-5466 http://www.sumnertn.org/

Sumner County, TN Courts