Marion County Court Records Search
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Marion County, Tennessee, sits approximately 25 miles southeast of Chattanooga and is governed from its county seat of Jasper. The county’s court system encompasses Circuit, General Sessions, Chancery, and Juvenile Courts — all based in Jasper — along with several municipal courts in surrounding cities. Each of these courts generates a distinct category of records: filings, orders, rulings, judgments, and decrees that collectively document legal proceedings affecting the residents of Marion County.
Tennessee provides several pathways for locating court case information, ranging from direct contact with individual clerks to online tools maintained by the state judiciary. TennesseeCourts.us can help orient researchers to the court structure and publicly available resources across the state. For appellate-level cases, the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts maintains the Public Case History Search, which covers the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals. For trial-court-level records in Marion County, the relevant clerks — the Circuit Court Clerk and the Clerk and Master — are the proper points of contact.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Marion County?
The correct starting point depends on the type of case. Criminal matters, civil accounts, divorces, and General Sessions cases are handled by the Circuit Court Clerk. Chancery matters — including domestic relations, estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships — are managed by the Clerk and Master. Juvenile cases are handled by the Marion County Clerk.
Marion County Court Locations
| Court | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court / General Sessions | Marion County Justice Center, 5 Oak Avenue, P.O. Box 789, Jasper, TN 37347 | (423) 942-2134 |
| Chancery Court (Clerk and Master) | Marion County Justice Center, 5 Oak Avenue, P.O. Box 789, Jasper, TN 37347 | (423) 942-2601 |
| Juvenile Court | Courthouse Annex, 24 Courthouse Square, Jasper, TN 37347 | (423) 942-2515 |
Searching for Cases Online
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts provides the Public Case History Search tool, which allows searches by case number, case style, party name, or organization name for appellate court cases. For trial-court-level cases in Marion County, searches must be conducted directly with the respective clerk, either in person or by mail.
Requesting Copies of Court Records
To request records from the Circuit Court Clerk or Clerk and Master, contact the relevant office with the following information:
- Full names of all parties to the case
- Case number (if known)
- Filing date or approximate date of the proceeding
- Type of case (criminal, civil, divorce, chancery, etc.)
- Specific documents needed and whether certified copies are required
- Your name, return address, and contact phone number
Mail written requests to:
Marion County Circuit Court Clerk
Marion County Justice Center
5 Oak Avenue, P.O. Box 789
Jasper, TN 37347
Phone: (423) 942-2134
The Marion County Courthouse general contact number is (423) 942-2552, and courthouse hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Are Court Records Public in Marion County?
Tennessee’s Open Records Act gives any person the right to inspect and copy government records unless a specific statutory exemption applies. The Act’s default position is broad transparency: all governmental records are open “unless otherwise provided by state law”. Tennessee has enacted more than 500 statutory exemptions, however, so not every document in a court file is automatically accessible.
Records generally open to the public include:
- Criminal case filings, orders, and judgments where charges have been filed
- Civil case filings, motions, and decrees from Circuit and General Sessions Courts
- Chancery Court orders and judgments in civil matters
- Probate filings, estate inventories, and wills on file with the Chancery Court
- Property instruments recorded with the Register of Deeds
- Marriage records held by the Marion County Clerk
Records that are restricted or confidential include:
- Juvenile court records — proceedings involving minors are confidential under Tennessee law; they are not available to the general public and are accessible only to the juvenile, their parents or guardians, attorneys, and designated government agencies
- Medical records — personal health information contained within court files is protected
- Records under attorney-client privilege — communications and work product shielded by privilege
- Personal identifying information — certain data elements may be redacted to protect individual privacy
- Sealed records — any file sealed by court order is inaccessible to the public without a separate court order
- Ongoing criminal investigation records — investigative materials that could compromise active law enforcement proceedings
If a public records request is denied, the requesting party has the right to petition a chancery or circuit court to compel access. The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Open Records Counsel maintains a comprehensive list of statutory exceptions and provides guidance to both requesters and agencies.
Marion County Criminal Court Records
Criminal cases in Marion County originate in either the General Sessions Court (for misdemeanor and preliminary felony proceedings) or the Circuit Court (for felony prosecutions and jury trials). Both courts are administered by the same clerk — Circuit Court Clerk Lonna Henderson — and share a physical location at the Marion County Justice Center.
The Circuit Court Clerk’s responsibilities include handling all Tennessee Highway Patrol citations, county citations, misdemeanor and felony criminal charges, and all associated case paperwork and costs. The General Sessions Court additionally handles detainers, recovery warrants, and judicial committals.
Requesting Criminal Records
Submit written requests to the Circuit Court Clerk at the Marion County Justice Center, 5 Oak Avenue, P.O. Box 789, Jasper, TN 37347. Call (423) 942-2134 to inquire about copy fees and processing times before submitting your request. Identify the case by providing the full names of the parties, the approximate filing date, the case number if available, and the specific documents needed.
Arrest Records and Jail Information
The Marion County Sheriff’s Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the county, located at 5 North Oak Avenue, Jasper, TN 37347. The non-emergency dispatch number is (423) 942-2525, and jail inquiries can be directed to (423) 942-8012. The Sheriff’s Office maintains a public jail inmate roster through its online SOMS portal, which lists individuals currently in custody and those released within the prior 72 hours. This resource is useful for verifying whether a specific individual is currently detained and what charges are on record.
It should be noted that an arrest record does not represent a conviction. Only the Circuit Court’s case file — showing a final disposition — reflects the outcome of criminal proceedings.
Marion County Civil Court Records
Civil matters in Marion County are distributed between the Circuit Court, the General Sessions Court, and the Chancery Court, depending on the nature and dollar value of the dispute.
- The Circuit Court handles larger civil disputes including damages (auto and non-auto), breach of contract, worker’s compensation, wrongful death, malpractice, condemnation, foreign judgments, and hospital liens.
- The General Sessions Court handles civil accounts, debt-related matters, garnishments, writs, and smaller civil claims.
- The Chancery Court handles equitable matters including enforcement of liens, boundary line disputes, dissolution of partnerships and corporations, fraud, election contests, and collection of delinquent taxes.
Clerk and Master — Chancery Court
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Clerk and Master | Paige Mashburn |
| Address | Marion County Justice Center, 5 Oak Avenue, P.O. Box 789, Jasper, TN 37347 |
| Phone | (423) 942-2601 |
Property Records
Real estate documents — including warranty deeds, deeds of trust, powers of attorney, and plats — are recorded with the Marion County Register of Deeds, not the Circuit Court. The Register of Deeds office at 1 Courthouse Square, Jasper, TN 37347 is the official custodian and land library for all real estate transactions in Marion County. Register Debbie Pittman can be reached at (423) 942-2573. The office provides public lookup stations for in-office document research and offers internet document retrieval through www.titlesearcher.com. A free Property Fraud Alert Program is also available through fraudalert.bislandrecords.com, which notifies registered property owners when documents are recorded in their name.
Marion County Family Court Records
Divorce, child support, child custody, adoptions, legitimation, name changes, and other domestic relations matters are filed with the Marion County Circuit Court Clerk. The Chancery Court also has concurrent jurisdiction over some domestic relations matters, including conservatorships, guardianships, and certain child-related proceedings. The Circuit Court handles minor settlements, legitimation, and appeals to the Court of Appeals in family cases as well.
Divorce Records
Divorce filings are public records in Marion County and are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk. To request a certified copy of a divorce decree, contact the Circuit Court Clerk at (423) 942-2134 or submit a written request to the Marion County Justice Center, 5 Oak Avenue, P.O. Box 789, Jasper, TN 37347. Include the full names of both parties, the case number if known, the approximate filing date, and any specific documents needed. Copy fees apply; contact the clerk for the current schedule before submitting payment.
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts provides court-approved divorce forms for uncontested divorces with no minor children, which may be filed through the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
Marriage Records
Marriage licenses are issued by and marriage records are maintained by the Marion County Clerk, Joanie Spangler. In-person requests for certified copies of marriage records can be made at:
Marion County Clerk
24 Courthouse Square, Room 101
P.O. Box 789
Jasper, TN 37347
Phone: (423) 942-2515
Valid photo identification is required when requesting certified copies of marriage records. Payment is accepted by cash, check, or credit/debit card; a 2% processing fee applies to card payments.
Birth and Death Records
Birth records in Tennessee are restricted for 100 years from the date of birth. Before that threshold, requests are limited to the individual named on the record and certain immediate family members. Death records are similarly restricted for 50 years after the event, with access limited to the deceased’s family and legal representatives before that date.
Both types of records can be requested from the Marion County Health Department at:
Marion County Health Department
24 East 7th Street
Jasper, TN 37347
Phone: (423) 942-2238
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
State-level certified copies can be ordered through the Tennessee Vital Records Office by submitting a completed Application for a Birth Certificate or Application for a Death Certificate to:
Tennessee Vital Records
Andrew Johnson Tower, 1st Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
The fee for birth certificates is $15.00 per copy, with the first certificate serving as a non-refundable search fee. Death certificates are also $15.00 per copy under the same fee structure. Mailed requests require payment by check or money order; in-person requests accept cash or card. Review the Tennessee Department of Health’s valid ID requirements before submitting any vital records request.
Marion County Probate Court Records
Probate and estate matters in Marion County fall under the jurisdiction of the Chancery Court, with the Clerk and Master serving as the record custodian. The Chancery Court handles estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and related proceedings.
Marion County Chancery Court — Clerk and Master
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Clerk and Master | Paige Mashburn |
| Address | Marion County Justice Center, 5 Oak Avenue, P.O. Box 789, Jasper, TN 37347 |
| Phone | (423) 942-2601 |
What Probate Records Contain
Probate case files typically include the original will (if one exists), petition for administration, inventory and appraisal of the estate, creditor claims, accountings, and the final order of distribution. Guardianship and conservatorship files contain petitions, financial reports, and court orders governing the protected person’s affairs.
How to Request Probate Records
Requests for probate records should be directed in writing to the Clerk and Master at the Marion County Justice Center. Include:
- Full name of the decedent (for estate records) or the ward (for guardianship records)
- Approximate date of death or date proceedings were opened
- Case number, if available
- Specific documents requested and whether certified copies are needed
- Your name and return address
For historical probate records and older estate files, the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville maintains microfilm and digitized records for Marion County dating to the late 1800s. These archival records include estate files, wills, and claims against estates, and may be accessed through the Archives’ research services for genealogical or legal research purposes.