Circuit, General Sessions, Chancery, and Juvenile Courts
Joy Breeding, Circuit Court Clerk
Joy Breeding is the Circuit Court Clerk for Perry County. She was elected to a four-year term. In Perry County, Joy Breeding also serves as the General Sessions Court Clerk and is responsible for records for the Circuit, General Sessions, and Juvenile Courts.
Responsibilities of the Circuit Court Clerk
- Keeps all records for Perry County Circuit and General Sessions Court, including lawsuits over $25,000, divorces, name changes, property cases, trial schedules, and appeals.
- Coordinates the Grand Jury, manages indictments, trial schedules, and appeals from lower courts and the Juvenile Court, including appeals to higher courts.
- Collects court costs, fines, taxes, and traffic tickets. Payments can be made at the courthouse or online.
- Keeps all records for the courts.
- General Sessions Civil Court handles small claims of $25,000 or less. The Clerk's office prepares legal documents for these cases.
- General Sessions Criminal/Traffic Court deals with criminal warrants and traffic tickets. The Clerk's office manages schedules and issues legal documents for these cases.
Phone Support: (931) 589-2218
Functions of the Circuit Court Clerk
Each office helps run the court, manage records, keep schedules, handle money, record court actions, send official messages, and do other court duties, such as:
- Attend court sessions
- Record what happens in court.
- File all court documents and evidence
- Manage court funds
- Keep court schedules and records
- Do any other tasks required by law
Katie Haggard is the Chief Deputy Clerk.
Juvenile Court, Deputy Clerk, Rosalee Skoog
A juvenile is anyone under 18 who has not been sent to adult court. Juvenile Courts handle cases about breaking the law, skipping school, child abuse or neglect, child support, custody, parentage, visitation, and medical or mental health help for children.
Juvenile Courts work with Circuit, Chancery, and Probate Courts on some cases. They handle paternity, custody, and child support cases together, especially for children of unmarried parents or in international child abduction situations. Juvenile Court cases are always private to protect children.
Juvenile Courts have the main authority over most cases involving young people breaking the law, being abused or neglected, being unruly, or needing permission for work or joining the military. Juvenile Courts work with other courts on child support cases.
Juvenile Courts also handle cases where parents break the law regarding their children. They share some cases with General Sessions Courts, like when someone helps a child break the law. Serious crimes by juveniles may be sent to adult court. Juvenile traffic offenses are usually handled by Juvenile Courts or other local courts, depending on the county.
Phone Support: (931) 589-2218
Tennessee's juvenile courts have jurisdiction within the following areas:
- Deciding if a child is abused, neglected, misbehaving, or has broken the law
- Deciding who a child should live with
- Ending a parent's legal rights to their child
- Ordering help or treatment for a child with a disability or mental illness
- Placing a child in the care of the Department of Children's Services
- Deciding who a child’s parent is
- Making sure unmarried parents pay child support
- Setting up visits for parents who don’t have custody
- Making sure children go to school as required by law
- Letting a minor get a marriage license, even if they’re not old enough
- Allowing a minor to work or join the military when the law needs a judge’s approval
- Letting a judge approve a child’s medical treatment if parents can’t
- Deciding if someone under 18 broke a traffic law
- Sending serious juvenile cases to adult court
Chancery Court, Charlene Duplessis, Clerk and Master
The Chancery Court was created by Tennessee's Constitution. It handles some cases on its own and shares others with the Circuit Court. Judge William Lane III is in charge of this court.
Charlene Duplessis is the Perry County Clerk and Master, and Paula Treadwell assists her. The District Circuit Judges pick the Clerk and Master for a six-year term. This person is in charge of records and some hearings for both Chancery and Probate Courts, handling civil and probate cases, and other duties.
Phone Support: (931) 589-2217
- Divorce
- Domestic relations matters (i.e, Paternity, Legitimation, Modification of Parenting Plans)
- Child Support
- Contempt
- Adoptions, Termination of Parental Rights, and Surrenders
- Conservatorships and Guardianships
- Name Changes
- Real Estate
- Partition Suites
- Damages
- Contract/Debt
- Foreign Judgments
- Minor Settlements
- Specific Performance
- Torts
- Delinquent Property Tax Collection
- Probate of Testate and Intestate Estates (with will or without a will)
Court Clerks of Perry County
