Magistrate's Office

The Magistrate's Office is a division of the Maury County General Sessions Court. Our office is located at 1300 Lawson White Drive, in the same building as the Maury County Sheriff's Department.

In Maury County, Magistrates (also known as Judicial Commissioners) are selected by the General Sessions Court Judges. These appointments are subsequently ratified or approved by the Maury County Commission (the county's lawmaking body), pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-1-111.

Matters We Handle

Magistrates are primarily responsible for:

• Conducting initial arraignments shortly after individuals are arrested and brought to the county jail
• Issuing temporary ex parte orders of protection in cases where domestic abuse, stalking, or sexual assault is alleged
• Issuing warrants or criminal summonses upon a finding of probable cause
• Setting bonds

Magistrates handle only limited, criminal matters.

Because we are not law enforcement, we do not investigate cases, make arrests, or respond to emergency calls.

Filing a Crime Report

If you have been the victim of a crime and need to file a report, you will need to contact your local police department (if you are within the city limits) or the Sheriff's Department.

If you are seeking an arrest warrant or a criminal summons for someone who has committed a crime against you, you will need to bring a hardcopy of the report that you filed, along with any witnesses, to the Magistrate's Office to discuss your options.

Matters We Do Not Handle

Changing Bond Conditions

If you are the victim in a particular case and you would like to speak to a Judge about getting the defendant's bond conditions changed, you will need to go before the presiding Judge of the Court where the case is set to be heard.

Civil Matters

Please note that Magistrates do not handle civil matters. Civil matters include such things as evictions, landlord/tenant disputes, breakdowns in contractual agreements, general no contact orders, and restraining orders. If you have a question about any of these or any other civil matters, you may wish to consult with an attorney for assistance with filing the proper paperwork or to file a lawsuit. Magistrates cannot provide you with legal advice.

For civil matters, the General Sessions Civil Clerk's office may be reached at 931-375-1112.

Legal questions related to child custody disputes may also be directed to an attorney. If there is an alleged violation of an existing parenting plan (i.e, one party is in contempt of court for not complying with the conditions of the existing order), you will need to contact the court where the order was issued to initiate contempt proceedings.

• The Maury County Chancery Court Clerk (Clerk and Master's Office) may be reached at 931-375-1307.
• For information on how to obtain a temporary emergency custody order, the Juvenile Court would need to assist you.
• For Juvenile Court Part 1 (Columbia), call 931-375-1118.
• For Juvenile Court Part 2 (Mt. Pleasant), call 931-379-3340.

Court Dockets

If you have general questions about a criminal case that is already set before the General Sessions Court, you will need to contact the criminal court clerk of the court where your case is set to be heard. Magistrates are not court clerks. We do not docket cases, change existing court dates, or accept any payments.

• For the Criminal Court Clerk in Part 1 (Columbia), call 931-375-1105.
• For the Criminal Court Clerk in Part 2 (Mt. Pleasant), call 931-379-3340.

Please note that the Circuit Court Clerk now has an option for accepting General Sessions Court payments online. Click Here for more information about payments.

Posting a Bond

If you are trying to help someone post a bond, you may call booking at 931-375-8661 to determine whether a bond has been set in a particular case. For specific details about the bonding process itself, you will need to speak a bail bonding agent.