Tennessee Ridge Municipal Court, Tennessee

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The Tennessee Ridge Municipal Court resides in Tennessee. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...

* Jurisdiction
* Selection method

## Contents

* 1 Jurisdiction
* 2 Selection method
* 2.1 Judicial elections in Tennessee
* 2.2 Primary election
* 2.2.1 County primary elections
* 3 See also
* 4 External links
* 5 Footnotes

## Jurisdiction[edit]

This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]

“  | Municipal courts, sometimes called “city courts,” hear cases involving violations of municipal ordinances. Most often, these courts hear speeding tickets and other traffic violations. However, these courts also hear codes violations such as dogs running loose, high grass or other violations of city ordinances that seek to ensure the public safety and welfare.

While generally, a municipal court can impose a fine of up to $50 (Fifty Dollars) plus court costs for violations, in some instances, these courts can impose a civil penalty of up to $500 (Five Hundred Dollars). The officials of a municipal court are the municipal judge and the municipal court clerk, who may both be appointed by the city’s governing body, or in some instances, one or both may be required to be elected.[2]

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## Selection method[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in the states

See also: Partisan election of judges

Judges of the municipal court are elected in partisan elections to eight-year terms. Individual towns or cities may establish varying ordinances for the election of their municipal judges, such as allowing for some positions to be elected by popular vote, and some to be selected by other methods.[3][4][5][6]

Qualifications
To serve on the court, a judge must be:[7]

* authorized to practice law in state;
* a district resident for at least one year;
* a state resident five years; and
* at least 30 years old.

### Judicial elections in Tennessee[edit]

See also: Tennessee judicial elections

Tennessee is one of seven states that use partisan elections to initially select judges and then use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

### Primary election[edit]

Primary elections may be held for trial court judges. The political parties in each county determine whether or not there will be a primary election in their respective counties.

#### County primary elections[edit]

Counties that are having a primary election will have them on a Tuesday in May. The candidate who wins the county primary election in May will then move on to the county general election in August and run against other party candidates that won their respective primaries.[8]

Primary elections in Tennessee serve to designate a party's nomination and narrow the field down to one candidate from that party for a specific office. A candidate who wins their primary nomination will move on to the general election.[8] It is not uncommon for a candidate to run unopposed in their party primary and then go on to run unopposed in the general election as well. Similarly, candidates may win their primary and go on to run unopposed in the general election.

Voters do not need to declare their party affiliation when they register to vote. However, primary voters must declare whether or not they will be voting in the Democratic or Republican primary.[8]

## See also[edit]

Local Courts

* Trial courts and judges
* Local court elections
* Ballotpedia's coverage scope

Other Tennessee Courts

* Tennessee federal courts
* Courts in Tennessee
* Judicial selection in Tennessee
* Judicial selection in the states

Elections

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## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* Tennessee courts

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Tennessee State Courts, "Municipal Courts," accessed May 22, 2023
2. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
3. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived September 11, 2014
4. ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "37-1-207 - Special juvenile courts Judges," accessed July 22, 2015
5. ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "16-18-203 - Term of office," accessed July 22, 2015
6. ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "16-15-202 - Election Term," accessed November 20, 2014
7. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee," archived September 11, 2014
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Hamilton County, Tennessee Election Commission: Differences Between Primary Elections & General Elections, accessed May 4, 2014

Tennessee courts

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Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee

State courts:

Tennessee Supreme Court • Tennessee Court of Appeals • Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals • Tennessee Circuit Court • Tennessee Chancery Courts • Tennessee Criminal Court • Tennessee Probate Court • Tennessee General Sessions Court • Tennessee Juvenile Court • Tennessee Municipal Court

State resources:

Courts in Tennessee • Tennessee judicial elections • Judicial selection in Tennessee

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