Putnam County
Putnam County, Tennessee, was created in 1854 and named after Israel Putnam. Its land area is 401 square miles, and according to the 2020 US census, 79,854 persons live in the county. Cookeville is its largest city and county seat.
The court system in Putnam County includes the following:
- Putnam County Circuit Court is the highest court in the county and handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. It hears contested wills, divorces, annulments, adoptions, civil cases, and real estate cases
- Putnam County Chancery Court has exclusive jurisdiction over civil equity cases. It also handles divorces, arbitration, paternity, name changes, administration of estates, admission of wills, and appointment of conservatorships
- Putnam County Criminal Court hears felonies and misdemeanors
- Putnam County General Sessions Court handles preliminary felony hearings, non-jury misdemeanor trials, municipal ordinance violations, and civil cases
- Putnam County Juvenile Court hears most juvenile matters, including juvenile delinquency, truancy, child abuse, child neglect, termination of parental rights, custody, paternity, and judicial consent to military enlistment
- Putnam County Probate Court handles admission of wills, administration of estates and trusts, and appointment of conservatorship and guardianship
- Municipal Courts in Putnam County hear municipal ordinance infractions and traffic offenses. The four municipal courts in Putnam County are in Algood, Cookeville, Baxter, and Monterey
Public court records in Putnam County are documents and files generated in the county's courts that are available to the public. They include records of dockets, court filings, writs, depositions, warrants, court proceedings, court transcripts, motions, orders, sentences, and court rulings. These records can be in audio, video, or text form. Court records are created, prepared, arranged, indexed, and kept by court clerks in compliance with county laws. The Putnam County Circuit Court Clerk maintains records from the Circuit, General Sessions, and Juvenile Courts, while clerks of other courts keep their own records.
The following types of Putnam County public court records are typically available unless sealed by court orders:
- Criminal Case Records
- Traffic Case Records
- Probate Case Records
- Civil Case Records
- Family Law Case Records
Persons interested in examining or obtaining Putnam County public court records can visit any of the county's courts to access them. They can also use the Putnam County Online Court Records System to access the county's nonconfidential court records online.
