General Session Criminal Court

General Session Criminal jurisdiction is limited to misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings in felony cases.

Criminal Cases

You may represent yourself or hire your own attorney. If you are indigent, you may apply for a court appointed attorney.
If the case is dismissed, it may be expunged from your record. You will have to prepare the paperwork or see an attorney to help you. There may also be a charge to file the paperwork.
Convictions on driving offenses are reported to the Department of Safety and do go on your driving history.
Failure to appear in court or failure to pay fine and costs could result in your arrest or your drivers license being suspended.
All General Sessions cases are open to the public. A public access computer is available to do a record search on someone.
A Judicial Commissioner is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the purpose of issuing criminal warrants and criminal summons.

Payment Policy

We do not accept personal checks. Individuals may pay with a business check, cashiers check, money order, credit/debit card (additional processing fees will charged) or cash.

Legal Advice

Deputy Clerks cannot give legal advice. They will file your paperwork, but they cannot advise you on what action you should take. You should consult an attorney for legal advice.

After Hours Payment Information

For your convenience in making payments, Kiosk machines are located in the jail lobby (24 hour access) and at 500 N Cusick Street Maryville TN

FAQs

Am I eligible for Driving School if I possess a CDL (commercial driver license)?: No, you would not be eligible to sign up for driving school. You would have to appear in court or pay the citation in full before the court date (if payment is a option for the charge).
May I make partial payments prior to court?: You would not be able to make partial payments prior to court. If you appear in court and are fined or taxed with costs, you may ask the judge for additional time to pay.
Will the court appoint an attorney to represent me in a Sessions Criminal case?: If you cannot afford to hire an attorney, you may appear in court on your court date and request an attorney. The judge will send you to the clerk’s office to fill out an Affidavit of Indigency and then the judge will determine if you qualify for a court appointed attorney.
If my driver license has been suspended, where do I go to get the information required to obtain a valid driver license?: You will need to go to the local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) office and get a print out showing what information would be required to obtain a valid driver license. If you are required to have a Certification letter from the court, you will have to obtain the letter(s) from the DMV office and bring the letter for each charge to the clerk’s office for certification. There is a fee for the court to certify each letter.