Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-10-102 (2026)
Criminal jurisdiction
✓ current as of May 2026
The circuit court has exclusive original jurisdiction of all crimes and misdemeanors, either at common law or by statute, unless otherwise expressly provided by statute or this code.
Code 1858, § 4226 (deriv. Acts 1835-1836, ch. 19, § 3); Shan., § 6064; mod. Code 1932, § 10319; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 16-502.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 33
cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1982–2023 · leading case: State v. Goodson, 77 S.W.3d 240 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2001).
State v. Goodson, 77 S.W.3d 240 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2001). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-10-102 (1994). The facts are abundantly clear that the Sullivan County Criminal Court had both subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction to try the Appellant for the commission of the charged offense.”
State v. Nixon, 977 S.W.2d 119 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997). “See Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-10-102 (1994). In reference to objections alleging failure to state an offense, the rationale is that if the indictment fails to include an essential element of the offense, no crime is charged and, therefore, no offense is before the court.”
State v. Booher, 978 S.W.2d 953 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-10-102 (1994). See also Tenn.”
State v. Keller, 813 S.W.2d 146 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1991). “T.C.A. § 16-10-102. Like the circuit courts, the jurisdiction of this Court is derived from the grant of power to this Court by the legislature.”
Clinton Books, Inc. v. City of Memphis, 197 S.W.3d 749 (Tenn. 2006). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-10-102 (1994). In Shelby County, however, the criminal courts are separate from the circuit courts, and the circuit courts do not hear criminal matters.”
State of Tennessee v. Leonel Lopez, aka Leonel Lopez Ramos, 440 S.W.3d 601 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2014). “See Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-10-102. The status of the grand jury foreman as a convicted felon does not relate to the power of the court to hear and decide a case.”
Tennessee Downs, Inc. v. Gibbons, 15 S.W.3d 843 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). “§§ 16-10-102; 40-1-107 to 108. Only the General Assembly of Tennessee can increase or diminish the jurisdictions of the circuit, chancery and other inferior courts of this state.”
State v. McFarland, 638 S.W.2d 416 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1982). “T.C.A. 16-10-102. By Chapter 52 of the Private Acts of 1842, the Criminal Court of Davidson County was established and given exclusive jurisdiction over crimes and criminal offenses theretofore exercised by the circuit court.”
State of Tennessee v. Charles Phillip Maxwell (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018). “14, 2012), this court addressed a similar issue concerning the jurisdiction of Tennessee’s criminal courts: At the outset, we note that the circuit courts of Tennessee have jurisdiction over all crimes and misdemeanors.”
State of Tennessee v. Brijesh Mukesh Desai (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019). “filed; Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-10-102 (2018). Here, theft of services is clearly an offense under Tennessee law, and the trial court had subject matter jurisdiction over this offense.”
State of Tennessee v. David A. Ferrell (Tenn. Crim. App. 2009). “See T.C.A. §§ 16-10-102 and 40-1-108 (2006). Thus, the Warren County Circuit Court had jurisdiction for the underlying cases.”
Kevin Anthony Dickson Junior v. State of Tennessee (Tenn. Crim. App. 2016). “As for personal jurisdiction, Petitioner argues that the trial court lacked jurisdiction because he is not a “person” within the statutory definition of the term, because he is a “sovereign” citizen and not a citizen of the State of Tennessee or the United States, and because he…”
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