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Court System - Historical Notes

Tennessee Code Annotated
Tennessee Attorney General Opinions

Chancery Court

The following acts form an outline of the development of equity jurisdiction in Johnson County, although they no longer have the force of law since they have either been superseded by general law, repealed, or failed to receive local ratification.

  1. Public Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 20, Section 10, attached Johnson County to the first chancery district.
  2. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 150, established a separate chancery division at Taylorsville in Johnson County which was held on the third Mondays of April and October.
  3. Public Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 88, set the time for holding the Johnson County Chancery Court on the first Wednesdays after the third Mondays of April and October at Taylorsville.
  4. Public Acts of 1865-66, Chapter 41, provided that Johnson County Chancery Court would meet on the second Mondays in March and September.
  5. Public Acts of 1866-67, Chapter 15, changed the time for holding the Johnson County Chancery Court to the fourth Mondays of March and September.
  6. Public Acts of 1869-70 (2nd Sess.), Chapter 32, divided the state into chancery districts. The first chancery district was composed of the counties of Johnson, Carter, Washington, Sullivan, Hawkins, Greene, Hancock, Claiborne, Grainger, Jefferson, Cocke, Powell and Hamblen.
  7. Public Acts of 1869-70 (2nd Sess.), Chapter 47, set the time for holding the Johnson County Chancery Court on the fourth Mondays of March and September.
  8. Acts of 1885 ( Ex. Sess.), Chapter 20, placed Johnson County in the first chancery division and set the time for holding said court on the third Mondays in February and the second Monday in August.
  9. Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 73, changed the time for holding the Johnson County Chancery Court to the second Mondays in April and October.
  10. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 427, placed Johnson County in the first chancery division and set the time for holding said court on the first Mondays in February and August.
  11. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 407, set the time for holding Johnson County Chancery Court on the second Mondays in May and November.
  12. Public Acts of 1931 (2nd Ex. Sess.), Chapter 38, placed Johnson County in the first chancery division and set the time for holding said court on the second Mondays in May and November.

Chancery Court - Clerk and Master

The reference list below contains acts which once applied to the clerk and master in Johnson County.

  1. Private Acts of 1911, Chapter 93, set the salary of the Johnson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master at $600 per year, with any difference to be paid from the county treasury. This act was amended by Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 360, which raised the salary to $1,080 per year.
  2. Private Acts of 1943, Chapter 376, set the salary of the Johnson County Clerk and Master at $1,500 per year.

Circuit Court

The following acts were once applicable to the circuit court of Johnson County but now have no effect, having been repealed, superseded, or having failed to win local approval.

  1. Public Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 5, divided the state into eleven judicial circuits. The first judicial circuit was composed of the counties of Johnson, Greene, Washington, Carter, Sullivan, Hawkins, Grainger and Claiborne. The time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court was set on the fourth Mondays of March, July and November.
  2. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 116, set the time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court on the second Mondays in March, July and November.
  3. Public Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 98, set the time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court on the second Mondays of March, July and November.
  4. Public Acts of 1869-70 (2nd Sess.), Chapter 31, divided the state into judicial circuits. The first judicial circuit was composed of the counties of Johnson, Hancock, Hawkins, Greene, Carter, Sullivan, Washington and Boone.
  5. Public Acts of 1869-70 (2nd Sess.), Chapter 46, set the time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court on the third Mondays of March, July and November.
  6. Acts of 1885 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 20, placed Johnson County in the first judicial circuit and set the time for holding said court on the third Mondays in March, July, and November.
  7. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 427, placed Johnson County in the first judicial circuit and set the time for holding said court on the first Mondays in January, May and September.
  8. Acts of 1903, Chapter 198, set the time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court on the first Mondays in January, May and September.
  9. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 303, set the time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court on the first Mondays in February, June and October.
  10. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 407, set the time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court on the first Mondays in February, June and October.
  11. Public Acts of 1931 (2nd Ex. Sess.), Chapter 38, placed Johnson County in the first judicial circuit and set the time for holding said court on the first Mondays in February, June and October.
  12. Public Acts of 1953, Chapter 18, set the time for holding the Johnson County Circuit Court to the first Mondays in February, June and October.
  13. Private Acts of 1975, Chapter 38, attempted to create a general sessions court for Johnson County which would also have had juvenile jurisdiction, but this act failed to gain local approval

Circuit Court - Clerk

The following acts have no current effect, but once applied to the Johnson County Circuit Court Clerk. They were repealed, superseded, or never received local approval.

  1. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 127, provided that the secretary of state was to furnish the Johnson County Circuit Court Clerk's office with copies of the 7th and 9th of Yergers' Supreme Court Reporter and 11th reporter by Humphreys.
  2. Private Acts of 1911, Chapter 297, set the annual salary of the Johnson County Circuit Court Clerk at $600. This act was amended by Private Acts of 1935 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 75, which raised the salary to $1,080 per year, with any excess fees to be placed in the school fund.
  3. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 354, provided that the salary of the Johnson County Circuit Court Clerk was to be paid in quarterly installments by the Johnson County Trustee on warrants of the chairman of the county court, issued on order of the quarterly county court at their regular session in each year.
  4. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 186, authorized the Johnson County Quarterly County Court to set the salary of the Johnson County Circuit Court Clerk at $1,800 per annum.

Criminal Court

The following acts once pertained to the Johnson County Criminal Court, but are no longer current law. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 49, Section 3, authorized the sheriff of Johnson County to hold an election for the purpose of electing a judge for the criminal district.
  2. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 90, Section 5, placed Johnson County in a judicial criminal district, along with Carter, Washington, Sullivan, Hawkins, Hancock, Greene, Cocke, Jefferson, Grainger and Claiborne counties. The time for holding the Johnson County Criminal Court was set for the first Mondays of February, June and October. This act was repealed by Public Acts of 1869-70 (1st Sess.), Chapter 11.
  3. Acts of 1885 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 20, set the time for holding the Johnson County Criminal Court to the third Mondays in March, July and November.
  4. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 427, set the time for holding the Johnson County Criminal Court on the first Mondays in January, May and September.