Tennessee Code Annotated

Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-102 (2026)

Powers of court

✓ current as of May 2026

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Every court has the power to:

(1) Enforce order in its immediate presence, or as near thereto as is necessary to prevent interruption, disturbance, or hindrance to its proceedings;

(2) Enforce order before a person or body acting under its authority;

(3) Compel obedience to its judgments, orders, and process, and to the order of a judge out of court, in an action or proceeding in court;

(4) Control, in furtherance of justice, the conduct of its officers, and all other persons connected with a judicial proceeding before it, in every matter pertaining to the proceeding;

(5) Administer oaths whenever it may be necessary in the exercise of its powers and duties; and

(6) Control its process and orders.

Code 1858, § 4099; Shan., § 5911; mod. Code 1932, § 10110; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 16-102.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1988–2025 · leading case: State v. Roberts, 106 S.W.3d 658 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002).

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State v. Roberts, 106 S.W.3d 658 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 2× “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-1-102(1) (1994). One mechanism courts use to maintain orderly proceedings is the power to punish conduct as contempt.”

In re Throneberry, 754 S.W.2d 633 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1988). · cites it 2× “T.C.A. § 16-1-102(3) . T.C.A. § 16-1-103 .”

Wilson v. Wilson, 877 S.W.2d 271 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 2× “The Trial Court’s jurisdictional authority derives from T.C.A. § 16-1-102(4) which provides “every court has power .”

Ashbrook v. Meigs Cnty., Tennessee (E.D. Tenn. 2025). · cites it 3× “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-102 (2021) (“Every court has the power to: (1) Enforce order in its immediate presence, or as near thereto as is necessary to prevent interruption, disturbance, or hinderance to its proceedings.”

In Re: Attorney Russell E. Edwards (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). · cites it 2× “See T.C.A. § 16-1-102(4) (providing courts the power to control the conduct of an attorney as an officer of the court in connection with a judicial proceeding); T.”

Susan Crosby Wilkinson v. Bradley Webb Wilkinson (Tenn. Ct. App. 2013). · cites it 2× “Tennessee Code Annotated Section 16-1-102 explicitly grants courts of this State the power to: (1) “[c]ompel obedience to its judgments, orders, and process;” and to (2) [c]ontrol its process and orders.”

City of Franklin, Tennessee v. Peggy Hunter (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 2× “See Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 16-1-102 and 29-9-102.”

Flautt & Mann, a P'ship v. The Council of The City Of Memphis (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-102 (3) (2003). “For the effectual exercise of its powers, every court is vested with the power to punish for contempt, as provided for in this code.”

Mary Hall v. Mary Rose Pippin (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 2× “Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 16-1-102 , -103 (1994).”

Rust v. Rust (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 2× “That discretion is rooted in the court’s general powers, found in Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-102 (4), to “[c]ontrol, in furtherance of justice, the conduct of its officers, and all other persons connected with a judicial proceeding before it, in every matter pertaining to the…”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-102(1) — 1 case

State v. Roberts, 106 S.W.3d 658 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-1-102(1) (1994). One mechanism courts use to maintain orderly proceedings is the power to punish conduct as contempt.”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-102(3) — 1 case

In re Throneberry, 754 S.W.2d 633 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1988). “T.C.A. § 16-1-102(3) . T.C.A. § 16-1-103 .”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-102(4) — 2 cases

Wilson v. Wilson, 877 S.W.2d 271 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1993). “The Trial Court’s jurisdictional authority derives from T.C.A. § 16-1-102(4) which provides “every court has power .”

In Re: Attorney Russell E. Edwards (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). “See T.C.A. § 16-1-102(4) (providing courts the power to control the conduct of an attorney as an officer of the court in connection with a judicial proceeding); T.”

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