Private Acts of 1943 Chapter 321

SECTION 1. That the Court of General Sessions for Warren County, Tennessee, is hereby vested with jurisdiction to try and determine and render final judgment in all misdemeanor cases brought before said Court by warrant, or information wherein the person charged with such offense enters a plea of guilty or requests a trial upon the merits, and expressly waives an indictment, presentment and a 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 said Court may be appealed to the Circuit Court of Warren County, Tennessee, where such appeal shall be tried by the Judge of said Court without a jury, and without indictment or presentment.

SECTION 2. That it shall be the mandatory duty of the Judge of the Court of General Sessions when a defendant is brought before such Court upon arraignment for trial, to advise such defendant of his constitutional rights to the aid of counsel, the right to be tried only upon presentment or indictment by a Grand Jury, the right to make a statement in reference to the accusation on [sic] the right to waive such statement in reference to the accusation, and the right to a trial by jury. Upon the defendant agreeing to waive the right to be put to trial only by presentment or indictment by a Grand Jury and the right to be tried by a jury of his peers such Court may proceed to hear and determine said case as is provided by Section 1 hereof. Said waiver shall be written or attached to the warrant substantially in words and figures as follows: The defendant pleads guilty of such offense of and waives his right to be tried only by presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury and likewise waives right of trial by jury of his peers.

SECTION 3. That in all cases where defendant has been bound over to the Grand Jury of Warren County by the Recorder or Mayor of Town of McMinnville, such defendant shall be forthwith brought before the Court of General Sessions for Warren County, upon any State's warrant outstanding or any States warrant or information filed against them and there arraigned as if such cases originated in the Court of General Sessions as is provided for in Sections 1 and 2 of this Act.

SECTION 4. That the Legislature expressly declares that each Section, paragraph and provision of this Act is severable, and that should any portion of the Act be held unconstitutionla [sic] or invalid, the same shall not affect the remainder of this Act, but such unconstitutional and invalid proportion shall be elided, and the Legislature declares that it would have enacted this Act with such invalid parts elided therefrom.

SECTION 5. That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act be and the same are hereby repealed.

SECTION 6. That this Act take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.
Passed: February 5, 1943.