Knox County Tennessee

General Sessions

Courts, Protocols & Locations

The dockets for the criminal divisions of General Sessions Court are posted daily at the office of the Clerk of Court of General Sessions, Criminal Division, in the City-County Building. The dockets for the civil division of General Sessions Court are posted daily at the office of the Clerk of Court of General Sessions, Civil Division, in the Old Courthouse.   Docket scheduling shall be done through the offices of the General Sessions Court Clerks, Criminal and Civil Divisions.

General Sessions Courts are open five days a week. Courts generally are closed for holidays, official conferences and when determined by judicial order. 

All courts open at 9:00 a.m. (except the Drug Court) for the daily docket. A lunch recess may be taken at noon.

Civil Court

Located in Fifth Sessions Court
Third Floor
Old Courthouse
300 Main Street
Knoxville, TN

All Civil and Detainer (landlord-tenant) cases are conducted in this Court. 

Collections cases should be scheduled for Monday or Wednesday. Detainer cases should be scheduled for Tuesday.  Thursday and Friday are designated hearing days.

DUI Court

Located in Second Sessions Court
Main Floor
City-County Building
400 Main Street
Knoxville, TN

Hears all DUI offenses (including 4th and subsequent offenses) and, in addition, vehicular assault and vehicular homicide regardless of the alleged cause and habitual motor vehicle offender offenses.

Drug Court

Located in First Sessions Courtroom
First floor    
City-County Building
400 Main Street 
Knoxville, TN 

Knox County has a single-jurisdiction adult Drug Court to serve as an alternative approach to incarceration for nonviolent offenders dependent on alcohol and other drugs. The purpose of the Drug Court is to promote public safety and health by providing comprehensive care to substance abuse offenders through a partnership between the judiciary, the Metropolitan Drug Commission, the Knox County Sheriff's Department, the Knoxville Police Department and health care providers. The General Sessions Drug Court presents the participants with a prescribed range of drug treatment services, as well as other social service programs, in a three-tier, highly structured, case management approach in a non-adversarial atmosphere.

Heard each Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in First Sessions Courtroom

The Office of the District Attorney General, the District Public Defender's Office, private defense counsel and other courts can refer participants to the Drug Court.  All of the initial referrals are assessed by the Drug Court Team to determine if the case meets the program's clinical and judicial requirements.

Felony Court

Located in Third Sessions Court
Main Floor
City-County Building
400 Main Street
Knoxville, TN

All felony offenses except felony evading arrest, vehicular assault, vehicular homicide, HMVO and DUI 4th or subsequent offenses. The Domestic Violence docket is heard on a priority basis. Drug cases are heard on Wednesday.  The Compliance docket is at 11:00 AM at the Cost Collection Counter.

Homeless Court

Located in LT Ross Building
2247 Western Ave
Knoxville, TN 37921
Homeless Court is held the third Wednesday of each month at 2:00 p.m.

Misdemeanor Court

Located in First Sessions Court 
Main floor    
City-County Building
400 Main Street 
Knoxville, TN 

Hears all misdemeanor offenses and felony evading arrest (whether alone or with other misdemeanor offenses).  The Domestic Violence docket is heard daily at the start of the misdemeanor docket.

Bonded Arraignment Court

Located in Fourth Sessions Courtroom
Main Floor
City County Bldg
400 Main Street
Knoxville, TN

Conducts arraignments for all persons who have been released from custody without seeing a judge or magistrate.  Defendants must report to this court on the date and time specified by the release officer.  Failure to report for arraignment as scheduled will result in the immediate arrest of the defendant.

Bonded Arraignment Court is held daily at 10:00 a.m.

Traffic - Environmental - Ordinance Court

Located in Fourth Sessions Court
Main Floor
City County Bldg
400 Main Street
Knoxville, TN

This Court hears environmental cases as well as county ordinances and traffic dockets. Mental health hearings are conducted on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Courts Located in Knoxville

Howard Baker U.S. Courthouse
800 Market Street
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
City-County Building
400 Main Street
General Sessions Criminal Courts (3)
Criminal Courts (3)
Circuit Courts (3)
4th Circuit Court
Chancery Courts (3)
Probate Court

City Safety Building
800 East Church Avenue
Municipal Court

Juvenile Court Building
3323 Division Street
Juvenile Court

Old Courthouse
300 Main Street
General Sessions Civil Court
Juvenile Child Support Courts (3)

Plaza Towers
800 South Gay Street
Bankruptcy Court

Post Office Building
501 Main Street
Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Court of Appeals
Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals