Madison County, Tennessee Court Records
Madison County Court records are documents, forms, and entries that allow the public to track ongoing cases, review specific details about legal proceedings, such as party names and hearing dates, and determine case outcomes. People can also order certified copies of case documents to use as proof in other proceedings, such as divorce decrees for change-of-name applications in the Probate Court.
Documents and other information created by external entities, such as arrest records from the Sheriff's Office and police departments, also feature in court records. Interested record seekers can view and obtain these records using online services and record request channels provided by the custodians of Circuit, Chancery, General Sessions, Juvenile, and Municipal Courts.
Are Madison County Court Records Public?
Yes. Rule 34 of the Tennessee Supreme Court's rules establishes that court records fall under the definition of public records in Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503(a)(1)(A), the state's Public Records Act.
However, under the Tennessee Public Records Act, other state laws like Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-153, and certain federal regulations, the public cannot access the following records:
- Information and documents explicitly declared exempt from public access in the Public Records Act
- Sealed court records
- Juvenile case records
- Records connected to ongoing police work
- Personal identifying information, including social security numbers
- Sensitive financial records, such as bank account details and credit card numbers
- Records related to mental health commitments
- Child custody, adoption, child support, and parental rights records
When protected records exist in the same documents as public records, custodians may redact the protected information before releasing the document to requestors.
What Information is Available in Madison County Court Records?
The following are information and materials that the public can view when looking up Madison County court records:
- Names of case parties and attorneys
- Case numbers and filing dates
- Presiding court
- Documents submitted during pretrial and trial proceedings, such as discovery materials, affidavits, petitions, complaints, indictments, and filed court forms
- Case outcomes, including judgments, verdicts, and sentencing information
Madison County Court Records Search
A Madison County court records search refers to using ordering and inspection methods that court clerks provide. These methods include online, in-person, and mail-in access to chancery, circuit, general sessions, or juvenile court records.
Circuit Court
The Circuit Court handles felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, civil cases valued at over $25,000, name changes, and liens, among others. People can contact the clerk's office using the following information for inquiries about viewing case files and requesting records:
515 South Liberty Street
Suite 200
Jackson, TN 38301
The Tennessee Judiciary's online case system is the ideal option for people looking to view circuit court records online. Users can select the Circuit Court under Court Type and Criminal or Civil under the Case Type menu before running a party name or case number search. The portal shows each case's details, including the case title, case number, presiding judge, case status, and filed documents.
For criminal cases, people can view information about charges, attorneys, hearings, bonds, and court fees.
General Sessions Court
The General Sessions Court is a court of limited jurisdiction, handling proceedings including evictions, civil cases worth up to $25,000, misdemeanors without juries, preliminary felony hearings, and orders of protection. Individuals can request certified copies of General Sessions Court records using the clerk's online request page, which requires providing a case number, among other details.
Members of the public who do not know the case number for a specific case can use the state judiciary's search portal to run name searches. Running a search involves selecting General Sessions under Court Type and choosing the case type before entering the party name in the Name field.
Chancery Court
The Madison County Chancellor, the Chancery Court's judge, handles will contests, child support, family disputes, name changes, and real estate lawsuits. The judge also shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Court over matters such as divorces, workers' compensation, and adoptions.
The Madison County Chancery Court's website allows individuals to view daily dockets, which include hearing dates and case titles. The public can also contact the court using the following details to ask about reviewing and requesting case records:
100 East Main Street
Suite 200
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: (731) 423-6030
Fax: (731) 988-3091
Municipal Courts
Municipal Courts, also called City Courts, handle violations of city ordinances, including speeding tickets and other traffic violations. They can impose fines of up to $500 as civil penalties. To obtain Municipal Court records, requestors can approach the court serving the specific city, such as the Jackson City Court.
Court Minutes and Probate Records from the Tennessee State Library and Archives
The TSLA can provide copies of certain municipal, circuit, and chancery court minutes and Wills/Probate records to members of the public for a fee. It can also certify the documents. The process involves filling out the relevant form listed on the Order Records from TSLA page and submitting it to:
Tennessee State Library & Archives
1001 Representative John Lewis Way North
Nashville, TN 37219
Fees for Court Records in Madison County
The judiciary does not require a fee to view circuit and general sessions court information using its online search system. However, requestors must cover the costs of reproducing and certifying court documents.
- Plain copies: 50 cents per page
- Certified copies: $5 per certification
- TSLA record delivery by mail or email: $5 for Tennessee residents and $10 for out-of-state parties
- TSLA record certification: Additional $5
Madison County Courthouse Locations
The following are the addresses and phone numbers for Madison County courts:
100 East Main Street
Suite 200
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: (731) 423-6030
Fax: (731) 988-3091
515 South Liberty Street
Suite 200
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: (731) 423-6035
Fax: (731) 988-3007
515 South Liberty Street
Suite 300
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: (731) 423-6128
Fax:(731) 265-5398
110 Irby Street
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: (731) 423-6073
Fax: (731) 423-0016
391 South Royal Street
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: (731) 425-8292
Criminal Records Access in Madison County
Accessing criminal records in Madison County involves interacting with different custodians, depending on the type of record one intends to obtain. That is because arrest information, details, and documents from criminal trials, incarceration, and pre-conviction detention, as well as probation details, all count as criminal records.
Arresting agencies, including the Sheriff's Office and police departments like the Jackson City PD, can provide information regarding anyone's arrest, depending on where the arrest occurred. The Sheriff's Corrections Division can provide details about inmates held in the county jail, such as booking date, arresting agency, inmate number, and bond details.
Criminal court records from the local circuit and general sessions courts can be reviewed to determine whether people were charged after their arrests and how the case ended. One can also approach court custodians to obtain or view specific records, such as warrants, complaints, indictments, judgments, and publicly available evidence submitted during criminal prosecutions.
To obtain comprehensive criminal history reports containing arrest information, outcomes of criminal prosecution, and post-conviction activity (such as probation) where applicable, people can use the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's background checks service. The bureau, which serves as the state's central repository for criminal history information, provides different services to the general public and qualifying entities. Anyone can use the $29 non-fingerprint service on themselves or others and receive the results by email.
Madison County Probate Records
Probate records are documents and information emanating from the will validations, appointment of executors, asset distribution, and other proceedings initiated to administer the estates of deceased people. Conservatorship of incapacitated adults and guardianship of minors also produce probate records.
The county's Juvenile Court, a division of the General Sessions Court, handles certain proceedings. However, contests of wills, which also create probate records, fall under the purview of the Chancery Court.
Madison County Family Court Records
Family case records produced during proceedings, such as orders of protection, child support, and child custody, can be obtained by approaching the Juvenile Court. However, the Chancery Court can be contacted for divorce (including child support and child custody proceedings arising from divorces), family disputes, parental rights, and records of the division of marital property.
Federal Court Records in Madison County
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the federal court serving Madison County, maintains records created during federal cases. These cases include criminal prosecutions initiated by theUnited States Justice Department and civil disputes involving the federal government, between two states or citizens of different states, or foreign entities. Bankruptcy cases heard in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee also produce federal records.
These records can be obtained by using the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system, the online federal case search tool. While PACER requires a user account and specific fees to view documents and listen to audio recordings, fees can be waived in certain cases. For example, individuals will no longer be charged to view documents after spending $3. Interested parties can see more details about fees and waivers on PACER's pricing page.
The public can also contact the local court to inquire about viewing case details on free-to-use public-access terminals and about record request options.
