Dark gray background with foreground text that says Private Acts Compilations


Administration - Historical Notes

Tennessee Code Annotated
Tennessee Attorney General Opinions

County Legislative Body

The following acts once applied to the quarterly court or the county legislative body of Coffee County and are included herein for historical purposes.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Acts of 1839-40, Chapter 68, authorized the qualified voters residing in any incorporated town which was also the county seat, to elect an additional Justice of the Peace.
  2. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 65, established a three member Board of Commissioners for Coffee County who would assume all the powers and duties formerly vested in the Quarterly Court.  The initial members would be appointed by the Governor to staggered terms with their successors popularly elected to three year terms.  The senior member of the Board would serve as President.  The Board would meet quarterly with the Clerk of the County Court serving as Recorder.  The President would receive $300 per annum and the other members $200 as compensation.  The Quorum Courts were abolished.  This Act was repealed by Public Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 15, and by Public Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 49.
  3. Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 61, authorized the 13th Civil District of Coffee County to elect an additional Justice of the Peace.  The Justice was required to reside and keep his office in the town of Tullahoma.
  4. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 487, amended the general law (Public Acts of 1875, Chapter 42, and Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 246) for Coffee County to raise the fees of the Justices of the Peace for attending Quarterly Court from $1.50 to $2.50.
  5. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 602, amended Acts of 1839-40, Chapter 68, so as to delete Coffee County from its provision authorizing an additional Justice of the Peace for the county seat.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 181.
  6. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 50, directed the Quarterly County Court of Coffee County to meet on the second Monday in January, April, July and October, instead of on the first Mondays as fixed by statute.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 911.
  7. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 108, provided that Justices of the Peace in Coffee County would receive $7.50 per day and such mileage as is provided by law, for their attendance at the quarterly sessions of the County Court.
  8. Private Acts of 1967-68, Chapter 152, amended Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 108, to provide that Justices of the Peace in Coffee County would receive $20 per day for attendance at sessions of the Quarterly Court, and $10 per day for attendance at committee meetings of the Quarterly Court not to exceed five meetings per year.  This Act did not receive local approval and therefore did not take effect.
  9. Private Acts of 1967-68, Chapter 306, set the compensation for members of the Quarterly Court at $25 per day for regular meetings and $10 per day for up to five committee meetings per quarter.  Mileage would be as provided by law.  This Act was approved locally.

County Mayor

The references below are of acts which once applied to the office of county judge, or county executive in Coffee County.  They are included herein for historical purposes only.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 648, created the office of county judge in Coffee County.
  2. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 170, amended Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 648, to provide the County Judge with the sum of $600 per year as an additional compensation for his services as financial agent of the County.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 1.
  3. Private Acts of 1943, Chapter 216, amended Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 648, to empower the County Judge to grant writs of habeas corpus.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 1.
  4. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 131, amended Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 648, to increase the compensation of the County Judge from $600 to $1,200 per annum.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 1.
  5. Private Acts of 1953, Chapter 471, amended Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 648, to provide that the additional compensation provided to the County Judge for his services as financial agent of the County would be $150 per month until the Quarterly County Court met and appropriated such additional compensation as they saw fit.  This provision would be superseded by any uniform general law of the State as to compensation of County Judges for services as financial agent.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 1.
  6. Private Acts of 1961, Chapter 299, transferred all the existing authority and jurisdiction relative to juveniles and juvenile courts from the County Judge to the Judge of the Court of General Sessions for Coffee County.  This Act did not receive local approval and therefore never took effect.
  7. Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 15, transferred all the judicial jurisdiction and authority of the County Judge to the Juvenile and Probate Court.  This Act did not receive local approval and therefore never took effect.

General Reference

The following private or local acts constitute part of the administrative and political history of Coffee County but are today no longer operative because they have either been superseded, repealed, or failed to receive local approval.

  1. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 157, provided for a county drill of the militia in every county in the month of September.  Coffee County was part of the 10th Brigade and would muster on the Wednesday and Thursday following the first Friday and Saturday in September.
  2. Acts of 1839-40, Chapter 34, incorporated the Coffee County Medicinal Springs, naming John Hereford, John Charles, Benjamin F. Hollins, Issac H. Roberts and Jonathan Webster as the owners.
  3. Private Acts of 1957, Chapter 251, empowered the Quarterly Court of Coffee County to permit the various departments, boards and agencies of the County to establish a group life, accident and health insurance plan for all officials and employees of the department, board or agency.  This Act was not approved locally and never became effective.