Goodlettsville, TN Lawyer: Which County Court Hears Your Case?
04. Goodlettsville
Criminal Charges and Tickets in Goodlettsville
Goodlettsville is split between two counties. The city says the northern half is in Sumner County and the southern half is in Davidson County. More than half the land is in Sumner, but about 60% of residents live in the Davidson County part. That split decides which courts hear your case. Attorney Chloe Hawes handles our criminal defense cases from our Gallatin office.
• Criminal cases follow the place of the offense. Tennessee prosecutes an offense in the county where it was committed (Tenn. R. Crim. P. 18). An offense on the boundary of two counties may be prosecuted in either one. Where you live does not decide it.
• City traffic court. Goodlettsville traffic court meets at City Hall, 105 South Main Street, on the 2nd and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Your court date is at the bottom of your ticket. The city says not guilty pleas are heard at only one session each month, and you must give at least 7 days' notice. Not paying a Goodlettsville ticket leads to a license suspension by the Department of Safety.
• State misdemeanor citations. The city tells people with a state citation that requires booking to read the citation to see where to appear. The city lists the Davidson County court at 408 2nd Avenue North (Justice A.A. Birch Building), Nashville, and the Sumner County court at 117 West Smith Street, Gallatin.
• Sumner side. Misdemeanors start in Sumner County General Sessions Court (clerk at 155 East Main Street, Gallatin). Felonies go to Sumner County Criminal Court at 117 West Smith Street.
• Davidson side. The Criminal Court Clerk of Metro Nashville and Davidson County keeps General Sessions criminal and Criminal Court records at 408 2nd Avenue North. See our Davidson County page.
Read our General Sessions court guide, our DUI page and our criminal defense overview.
Call (615) 997-7618 to talk with our team about your case.
Probate, Wills and Conservatorship for Goodlettsville Families
A will is probated in the county where the person usually lived when they died (Tenn. Code Ann. § 32-2-101). So the home address matters, not the city name.
• Lived on the Sumner side. Probate goes to the Sumner County Chancery Court. The Clerk and Master is at 155 East Main Street, Room 3600, Gallatin. The court handles probate, conservatorships and guardianships.
• Lived on the Davidson side. Probate goes to the Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division (Davidson County Probate Court). The clerk is at the Historic Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville.
• Conservatorships. Metro's Office of Conservatorship Management says a conservatorship must be filed in the county where the person with a disability lives.
Not sure which side a home is on? Check the property tax bill or ask us. Our estate work is handled by attorney Kylene Ross with our probate paralegal, who has 20 years of probate, wills and estates experience. See our probate, conservatorship and wills and trusts pages, and what happens if someone dies without a will.
Lawsuits and Civil Cases in Goodlettsville
• Read the top of the warrant. A civil warrant or summons names the county and court where the case was filed. That is where you must appear.
• General Sessions limits. In both counties, General Sessions civil cases are generally limited to $25,000, with no limit in detainer (eviction) cases (Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501).
• Sumner. General Sessions civil filings go to the clerk at 155 East Main Street, Gallatin.
• Davidson. The Circuit Court Clerk's General Sessions Civil Division is at 408 Second Avenue North, Suite 2110, Nashville.
• Deadlines. A General Sessions judgment can be appealed to Circuit Court within 10 days (Tenn. Code Ann. § 27-5-108).
Read our lawsuit defense page, what to do after being served with a civil warrant and our civil matters overview.
Talk to a Lawyer Today
Have a case in Goodlettsville? Call (615) 997-7618 to talk with our team. Prefer to write first? Send us a message and we are notified right away.