Private Acts of 1937 Chapter 868

SECTION 1.  That the City Court of the City of Chattanooga in Hamilton County is hereby vested with jurisdiction to try and determine and render final judgment in all misdemeanor cases brought before said Court by warrant wherein the person charged with such misdemeanor offenses enters a plea of guilty, or requests a trial upon the merits, and expressly waives an indictment, presentment and grand jury investigation, and a jury trial.  In such cases the trial shall proceed before the Judge and without a jury.  The final judgment of such Court may be appealed to the Criminal Court of Hamilton County, where such appeal shall be tried by a Judge of such Court without a jury, and without indictment or presentment.  The jurisdiction hereby conferred shall be exercised within the corporate limits of the City of Chattanooga, but concurrently with Criminal Court of Hamilton County as hereinafter provided.

SECTION 2.  That the Criminal Court of Hamilton County is hereby vested with jurisdiction to try and determine and render final judgment in all misdemeanor cases brought before said Court upon warrant or information by the District Attorney General wherein the person charged with such misdemeanor offense enters a plea of guilty, or requests a trial upon the merits, and expressly waives an indictment, presentment and grand jury investigation, and a jury trial.  In such cases the trial shall proceed before the Judge and without a jury.  The jurisdiction hereby vested shall extend to misdemeanor cases committed in Hamilton County.

Any person who has been committed to jail, or placed under bond to appear before the Criminal Court in any misdemeanor case by judgment of a Justice of the Peace may demand a trial before the Criminal Court upon waiving an indictment, presentment and grand jury investigation and a jury trial.  In such cases speedy trial shall be held before a Judge of such Court without a jury.

It shall be the duty of the District Attorney General to ascertain from persons held in jail whether they desire to avail themselves of such procedure.

Such trials may be held upon the original warrants, or upon an information filed by the District Attorney General.

SECTION 3.  That in all trials provided by this Act the costs as now provided by law shall be taxed and collected, except that no State and County litigation tax shall be charged or collected.

SECTION 4.  That this Act shall take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.

Passed:  May 20, 1937.