The Office of Circuit Court Clerk services Circuit, General Sessions, and Juvenile courts.

Circuit Court handles a range of issues including criminal cases, contract disputes, civil torts, condemnations, worker’s compensation claims, domestic matters and the administration of estates.

General Sessions Court’s jurisdiction includes limited-jurisdiction torts and contracts, landlord-tenant disputes and matters involving the violation of a Metropolitan government ordinance, including traffic and codes violations.  General Sessions Court also hears the majority of criminal cases. These cases are either disposed of in General Sessions Court (misdemeanor) or bound over to the Circuit Court (felony).

The Juvenile Court handles most all matters involving youth under the age of 18. In cases where the parents were not married, Juvenile Court holds jurisdiction in determining child support, custody, visitation and other such matters. If custody was previously determined by a divorce court, that court typically retains jurisdiction in custody, except in very limited circumstances.  Most traffic offenses for which juveniles are cited within in the county are heard in juvenile court. There are a few limited cases that may be handled in established municipal courts. Cases of dependency and neglect, including cases of alleged abuse, are heard in Juvenile Court. Status offenses, those offenses that are only against the law because someone is under the age of 18, such as unruly behavior, runaway, truancy, are handled in this court. Delinquent matters for juveniles, situations that would be a criminal act if committed by an adult, are also heard here.