Tipton County
Tipton County, located in western Tennessee, was formed in 1823 from Shelby County and has its seat of government in Covington. It is the 47th largest county in the state by total land area, covering 455.6 square miles of land and housing over 60,970 residents. Tipton County operates a structured court system, which consists of the Circuit Court, Chancery Court, and General Sessions Court.
The Circuit Court in Tipton County has general jurisdiction over serious criminal cases like felonies. The court shares jurisdiction with the Chancery Court over major civil cases and also hears appeals from the Chancery and General Sessions courts. Like the Circuit Court, Tipton County Chancery Court falls under the state's 25th Judicial District and presides over most civil cases with $25,000 and over in claims.
Tipton County General Sessions Court has exclusive jurisdiction over small claims cases. It hears certain civil cases in which the amount in dispute is less than $25,000 and also handles preliminary hearings of felony cases as well as non-jury trials of misdemeanor cases. In Tipton County, the Juvenile Court operates as a Division of the General Sessions Court. It handles cases related to minors who are delinquent, unruly, or neglected. Cases such as paternity, custody, and child support are also handled by the Juvenile Court. The court's proceedings are usually conducted behind closed doors.
In Tipton County, courts must keep records gathered during case filings and court proceedings. These court records, typically kept by the assigned clerks of the courts, include affidavits, pleadings, warrants, petitions, certificates of service, summons, motions, subpoenas, and court orders. Most court records in Tipton County are public records and may be accessed by interested individuals. However, certain records, such as juvenile, confidential, expunged, shielded, and sealed records, are restricted from public access.
Common public court records in Tipton County include:
- Criminal Records
- Civil Records
- Probate Records
Criminal and civil court records maintained at the Tipton County Circuit and General Sessions courts may be viewed online through the Court Records System. For the Chancery Court records and court records not available online, interested individuals may contact the local court that heard the cases.
