Bradley County
Bradley County got its start in the year 1836. The county was created with ceded Cherokee land laid out within the Treaty of New Echota. Located in Tennessee, its land area is about 328.8 square miles, with about 108,859 residents. The administrative headquarters is located in Cleveland.
Bradley County courts include a Circuit Court, a Chancery Court, a Criminal Court, a General Sessions Court, a Juvenile Court, and Municipal Courts. The Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction. It presides over civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases and appeals from the General Sessions Court and Municipal Courts. The Chancery Court of Bradley County handles civil, domestic relations, and probate cases. The Criminal Court, established by the legislature to relieve the Circuit Court, specifically handles criminal cases and hears misdemeanor appeals from lower courts. The General Sessions Court has jurisdiction over preliminary hearings in felony cases, misdemeanors, juvenile, and small claim cases where the amount in contention is less than $25,000. The Juvenile Court handles delinquency, child abuse or support, custody, visitation, and mental health treatment for children. The Cases involving traffic infractions and ordinance violations are heard by the Municipal or City Courts.
In Bradley County, public court records include documents, paper, letters, books, sound recordings, and digital files collected, created, and received by the courts. The Tennessee State Library and Archives keeps court records from the state's Circuit, Criminal, and Chancery Courts. The Tennessee Open Records Act allows residents and citizens to access court records in the county. The Circuit and Criminal Court Clerk creates and maintains all court records for the Circuit and Criminal Courts. The clerk of court in each of the courts is responsible for its records, which include the following:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Family law records
- Probate records
The public may request Bradley County court records by completing the copy order form and submitting it along with proof of payment to:
Tennessee State Library and Archives
403, Seventh Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243
Also, they may access court records by visiting the clerks' offices at the various courthouses.
