GENERAL MANUAL FOR CLERKS OF COURTS Prepared by TENNESSEE CLERKS OF COURT in coordination with THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE=S COUNTY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICE and CENTER FOR GOVERNMENT TRAINING and THE TENNESSEE SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS Revised May 2001 PREFACE This manual has been published to assist all Court Clerks in the service to the citizens of Tennessee. The manual is designed to provide a broad based review of the operation of a state Court Clerk’s Office. While the manual is a comprehensive publication, Clerks are urged to use alternative resources to supplement the data in the manual. This is the third update of the manual. The first publication was in 1996 and again in 1998. Many of the changes reflect legislative action amending the Tennessee Code Annotated. The changes in this version are minor in nature but are important. It is the goal of the Committee to keep the manual current. The manual will be updated every time a change is needed. The change will be posted on the AOC Website. The address is www.tsc.state.tn.us. The complete manual will be online at this site. At the Clerks’ Fall conferences, an update supplement will be available. Clerks will only have to change the pages in the manual that need replacing. This will insure that the manual is updated every year. We welcome your suggestions and comments for the improvement of this publication in the future. As Chairman of the Committee, I extend my thanks to all Committee members as listed in the following pages. Special thanks to Rebecca Montgomery, Senior Staff Attorney for the AOC and to the AOC Staff for all their hard work. Garry W. Jones Chairman Tennessee State Court Clerks Manual Committee May 2001 CLERKS’ MANUAL COMMITTEE 2001 Garry W. Jones P.O. Box 733 Gainesboro, TN 38562 931-268-9516 Heather Duncan P.O. Box 629 Manchester, TN 37349 931-723-5110 Ron Swafford 1600 E. 3rd Street Chattanooga, TN 37404 423-493-9263 Chris Thomas 140 Adams Street, Room 114 Memphis, TN 38103 901-545-4040 Claudia Bonnyman Metro Courthouse, Room 2 Nashville, TN 37201 615-862-5710 David Torrence 309 Metro Courthouse Nashville, TN 37201 615-862-5600 Martha Phillips Room 149, City County Building Knoxville, TN 37902 865-215-5492 iii CLERKS’ MANUAL COMMITTEE 1998 Mahailiah Hughes Circuit Court Clerk Sumner County P.O. Box 549 Gallatin, TN 37066 615/452-4367 Lee Akers Lewis Coomer Hamilton County Circuit Court Clerk Clerk and Master Putnam County 201 Seventh Avenue, Room 300 421 E. Spring Street, #1C49A Chattanooga, TN 37402 Cookeville, TN 38501 931/528-1508 Kay Armstrong Clerk and Master Jimmie German Greene County Circuit Court Clerk Box 263 Fayette County Greeneville, TN 37743 P.O.Box 177 423/638-6361 Somerville, TN 38068 901/465-5205 Claudia Bonnyman Clerk and Master Shirley Graham Davidson County Clerk and Master 2 Metro Courthouse Hawkins County #1 Public Square 101 E. Main Street, Courthouse Nashville, TN 37201 Rogersville, TN 37857 615/862-5710 423/272-1850 John Bratcher Tommy Higdon Clerk and Master Clerk and Master Rutherford County Marshall County Judicial Bldg., Room 302 208 Marshall County Courthouse 20 Public Square North Lewisburg, TN 37091 Murfreesboro, TN 37130 615/898-7860 John Hoff Clerk and Master Cheryl Castle Dyer County Circuit Court Clerk Dyersburg, TN 38024 Montgomery County 731/286-7818 P.O. Box 384 Clarksville, TN 37040 931/648-5700 iv Sarah Housewright Richard Rooker Clerk and Master Circuit Court Clerk Sullivan County Davidson County 225 W. Center Street 506 Metro Courthouse Kingsport, TN 37660 #1 Public Square 423/224-1726 Nashville, TN 37203 615/862-5181 Brenda Hyden Juvenile Court Clerk Martha Smith Williamson County Clerk and Master 408 Century Cuort Hardin County Franklin, TN 37064 Main Street, Courthouse 615/790-5814 Savannah, TN 38372 731/925-8166 Judy Medearis Circuit Court Clerk Don Squibb Hamilton County Circuit Court Clerk 201 7th Avenue, Room 500 Washington County Chattanooga, TN 37402 P.O. Box 356 423/209-6700 Jonesborough, TN 37659 423/753-1611 Holly Jaynes Circuit Court Clerk Chris Thomas Hawkins County Probate Court Clerk P.O. Box 9 Shelby County Rogersville, TN 37857 140 Adams Street, Room 114 423/272-3397 Memphis, TN 38103 Marion Nuckolls David Torrence Clerk and Master Criminal Court Clerk Hardeman County Davidson County P.O. Box 45 309 Metro Courthouse Bolivar, TN 38008 #1 Public Square 731/658-3142 Nashville, TN 37201 615/862-5600 Martha Phillips Criminal Court Clerk Raymond Winters Knox County Circuit Court Clerk Room 150, C/C Bldg. Sullivan County Knoxville, TN 37902 P.O. Box 585 865/215-2492 Blountville, TN 37617 423/323-5158 v Original Edition 1996 Tennessee Court Clerk’s Manual Committee Claudia Bonnyman Deputy Circuit Court Clerk Clerk and Master Sumner County Davidson County P.O. Box 549 2 Metro Courthouse Gallatin, TN 37066 #1 Public Square 615/452-4310 Nashville, TN 37201 615/862-5710 Bill Heron Juvenile Court Clerk John Bratcher 1600 E. Third Street Clerk and Master Chattanooga, TN 37402 Rutherford County 423/493-9250 Judicial Bldg., Room 302 20 Public Square North Mahailiah Hughes Murfreesboro, TN 37130 Circuit Court Clerk 615/898-7860 Sumner County Clerk P.O. Box 549 Lewis Coomer Gallatin, TN 37066 Circuit Court Clerk 615/452-4367 Putnam County 421 E. Spring Street, #1C49A Brenda Hyden Cookeville, TN 38501 Juvenile Court Clerk 931/528-1508 408 Century Court Franklin, TN 37064 Ron Durby 615/790-5812 Clerk and Master 201 Seventh St., Room 300 Jean Jones Hamilton County Courthouse Clerk and Master Chattanooga, TN 37402 Hamblen County Courthouse 423/757-2311 511 W. 2nd North Street Morristown, TN 37814 Jimmie German 423/586-9112 Circuit Court Clerk Fayette County Suzanne G. Keith P.O.Box 177 Deputy Director, AOC Somerville, TN 38068 Nashville City Center, Suite 600 901/465-5207 Nashville, TN 37243-0607 615/741-2687 Don Layton Linda Hall Clerk and Master vi Anderson County Criminal Court Clerk P.O. Box 501 Knox County Clinton, TN 37716 Room 150, C/C Bldg. 865/457-5400 Ext. 208 Knoxville, TN 37902 865/215-2492 Frankie Lewis Chief Deputy Clerk Mary Tom Plummer Supreme Court Building Director of Education, AOC 719 Locust Street Nashville City Center, Suite 600 Knoxville, TN 37901 Nashville, TN 37243-0607 865/594-6700 615/741-2687 Luther McKeehan Barbara Walls Courthouse Annex Clerk and Master 900 E. Elk Avenue Fayette County Elizabethton, TN 37643 Drawer 220 423/542-1835 Somerville, TN 38068 901/465-5219 Kenny Norman Juvenile Court Clerk John Weaver 100 Woodland Street Clerk and Master Nashville, TN 37213 Knox County 615/862-7983 Room 123, City-County Bldg. Knoxville, TN 37902-1805 Marion Nuckolls 865/521-2555 Clerk and Master Hardeman County Raymond Winters P.O. Box 45 Circuit Court Clerk Bolivar, TN 38008 Sullivan County 731/658-3142 P.O. Box Blountville, TN 37617 423/323-5158 Martha Phillips vii DEDICATION This manual is dedicated to the memory of Amy Hull Ransdell, 1963-1994, as set forth in the following memorial prepared by her colleagues from the County Technical Assistance Service Institute for Public Service from the University of Tennessee. viii MEMORIAL TO AMY HULL RANSDELL 1963 - 1994 Amy Hull Ransdell was born in Greeneville, Tennessee, to U.S. District Judge Thomas and the late Joan Hull on June 21, 1963. She graduated from high school in Greeneville, Tennessee, and attended the University of Tennessee, graduating with a B.S. in communications in June of 1985. In the fall of 1988, after having spent three years as a congressional aid in Washington, Amy entered the Cecil C. Humphreys Law School of Memphis State University and graduated in May of 1991. Upon completion of law school, she moved to London, Kentucky, clerking for Judge Eugene Siler of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She was based in London but worked frequently in Cincinnati, Ohio, when the court was sitting there. Prior to her marriage to Keith Ransdell on May 7, 1993, Amy joined the legal staff of the County Technical Assistance Service, an agency of the University of Tennessee. As a part of her position, Amy assisted county officials across the state, providing guidance in legal matters, with primary emphasis directed to State Court Clerks. She co-authored a number of manuals designed to assist these county officials with the operation of their offices. After her death, the County Officials Association of Tennessee honored Amy with the Outstanding Public Service Professional Award. On December 9, 1994, Amy, who was five months pregnant with a little girl, Emma Katherine, was killed by a drunk driver who drove his pickup onto the sidewalk pinning Amy against a steel light pole. The accident occurred around noon as Amy was standing on the sidewalk in front of Church Street Centre Mall in downtown Nashville during her lunch hour waiting to cross the street. Amy had been Christmas shopping for gifts for her family, typical for Amy, whose family meant so much to her. Amy will be remembered by those who knew her as a sweet, considerate, and happy person who was so looking forward to being a mother and having a family of her own. In today’s world where people seem to be becoming more cynical and less caring, Amy stood out as a rare individual who greeted everyone with a smile and had a gentle, caring, positive spirit. She looked for and saw the good in everyone around her. A gentle light has gone out of this world, but her sweet spirit will never be forgotten; nor should we ever forget why she is gone and why Emma Katherine will never have the chance to experience life.