Tennessee § 6-33-103 - Operations and jurisdiction of city courts.

§ 6-33-103. Operations and jurisdiction of city courts.

A city court is created to be administered and presided over by a city judge. The judge of the city court shall have jurisdiction in and over all cases for the violation of and all cases arising under the laws and ordinances of the city. The city judge, in all cases heard or determined by such city judge for offenses against the corporate laws and ordinances, shall set and collect municipal court costs in accordance with § 16-18-304 , and shall levy and collect the litigation tax in accordance with § 16-18-305 . In all cases where the offender is committed to the jail or workhouse for failure to pay fines, costs or forfeitures, the offender shall be credited with two dollars ($2.00) for each day's imprisonment. The city judge shall be vested with the jurisdiction formerly exercised by justices of the peace in all cases of violation of the criminal laws of the state within the limits of the city. Warrants, subpoenas, orders and other processes of the court shall be executed by the police officers of the city who for such purposes shall have the same powers and authority of a sheriff in executing process of a circuit court. The council may authorize any officer or employee of the court to accept pleas of guilty and to fix fines in cases of minor traffic violations, as defined by the city council, and to issue warrants and accept bail bonds. All fines, penalties, forfeitures, and money collected by the court, or the officers and employees thereof, shall be promptly turned over to the city treasury. The council shall require an audit of the accounts of the court at least annually. The records of the court shall be prescribed by ordinance. Acts 1957, ch. 238, § 6.02; 1978, ch. 909, §§ 1, 2; impl. am. Acts 1979, ch. 68, § 3; modified; T.C.A., § 6-3303; Acts 2004, ch. 914, § 6c; 2009, ch. 146, § 1. Law Reviews. The Tennessee Court System — Municipal Courts, 8 Mem. St. U.L. Rev. 431 (1978). Attorney General Opinions. City courts have jurisdiction to enforce a child curfew law against a parent, OAG 00-158, 2000 Tenn. AG LEXIS 161 (10/17/00).