Sumner County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Sumner County was established in 1786 and named in honor of American Revolutionary War hero General Jethro Sumner. The county seat is Gallatin City. About 196,845 residents occupy the county's over 500 square miles of land area. Sumner County has a comprehensive court system organized into a Circuit Court, a Chancery Court, a Criminal Court, a General Sessions Court, a Juvenile Court, and Municipal Courts.

The Circuit Court, located in Gallatin, has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, including matters relating to domestic relations, adoption, personal injury, medical malpractice, contract disputes, termination of parental rights, and name changes. The Chancery Court shares jurisdiction with the Circuit Court and entertains matters such as divorce, paternity, adoption, name change, child support, probate, guardianship, contempt, and minor settlements. Sumner County Criminal Court handles major criminal cases such as felonies and any criminal jury trials. The General Sessions Court exercises authority over civil claims with a value of up to $25,000, recovery of personal property, and landlord-tenant disputes. For criminal actions, this court handles felony preliminary hearings and misdemeanor offenses. The Juvenile Court deals with cases involving minors, including matters relating to truancy, juvenile delinquency, termination of parental rights, child support, and child neglect. Sumner County Municipal Courts generally oversee traffic offenses and other municipal ordinance violations. These courts are located in the cities of Gallatin, Hendersonville, Millersville, Portland, Westmoreland, and White House.

In Sumner County, 249 incidents of violent crime were reported in 2022. On an annual basis, Sumner County courts handle approximately 5,000 criminal, civil, and domestic relations cases. Each court in Sumner County has a Clerk's office that manages the caseload for that court and processes all court records generated in the course of legal proceedings. Sumner County maintains an Online Court Records System that provides records of the Circuit and General Sessions Courts. Other courts in Sumner County also make their records accessible to the public, and residents may contact the relevant court to request official copies of court documents.

In summary, Sumner County is devoted to improving the administration of justice through its comprehensive court system. The Circuit Court, Chancery Court, Criminal Court, General Sessions Court, Juvenile Court, and Municipal Court work closely to foster amicable settlement and ensure that justice is served most efficiently. By introducing an online court record system, Sumner County promotes a culture of transparency and accountability in the judicial system.