DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judicial)

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Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This county is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.

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DeKalb County is located within the Thirteenth Judicial District. The people of DeKalb County are served by a circuit court, a criminal court, a general sessions court, a juvenile court, a chancery court, and municipal courts.[1]

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has jurisdiction in DeKalb County. Appeals from the Middle District go to the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

# Judges[edit]

DeKalb County, Tennessee

## Circuit Court[edit]

### Thirteenth Circuit Court, Tennessee

* Caroline Knight
* William Ridley[2]

## Criminal Court[edit]

### Thirteenth District Criminal Court, Tennessee

* Wesley Bray
* Shawn Fry
* Gary McKenzie[3]

## General Sessions Court[edit]

### DeKalb County General Sessions Court, Tennessee

* Bratten Hale Cook

Municipal judge with General Sessions jurisdiction

* J. Hilton Conger[4]

## Juvenile Court[edit]

### DeKalb County Juvenile Court, Tennessee

* Bratten Hale Cook, III[5]

## Chancery Court[edit]

### Thirteenth District Chancery Court, Tennessee

* Ronald Thurman[6]

# Elections[edit]

See also: Tennessee judicial elections

Tennessee is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Tennessee, click here.

* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2025
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2024
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2023
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2022
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2021
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2020
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2019
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2018
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2017
* Tennessee local trial court judicial elections, 2016
* Tennessee judicial elections, 2014
* Tennessee judicial elections, 2012
* Tennessee judicial elections, 2010

## Election rules[edit]

### 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.[7]

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.[7] 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.[7]

## See also[edit]

* Courts in Tennessee
* Tennessee counties
* Judicial selection in Tennessee

## External links[edit]

* Tennessee State Courts, "Trial Court Judges," accessed May 15, 2014
* Tennessee State Courts, "Circuit, Criminal & Chancery Courts," accessed May 15, 2014
* Tennessee State Courts, "Tennessee Judicial District Map," accessed May 15, 2014

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Tennessee's Counties
2. ↑ Tennessee Courts, "Trial Court Judges," accessed August 14, 2024 (Select District "13")
3. ↑ Tennessee Courts, "Trial Court Judges," accessed August 14, 2024
4. ↑ Tennessee State Courts, "General Sessions Courts Judge," accessed January 20, 2015
5. ↑ Tennessee State Courts, "Juvenile & Family Courts Judicial Officials," accessed February 3, 2015
6. ↑ Tennessee State Courts, "Judge Ronald Thurman Biography"
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Hamilton County, Tennessee Election Commission: Differences Between Primary Elections & General Elections, accessed May 4, 2014

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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