Blount County Adult Detention Facility

Open Blount County Inmate Search first. It shows who is in custody and the charges. A booking that is only a few minutes old may take a little while to appear. If the name is still missing after an hour, call the jail at 865-273-5245 and give the full legal name and birth date.

Two things never close: the jail lobby and the judicial commissioners. Both are in the Justice Center on East Lamar Alexander Parkway. The Sheriff's Office main line is 865-273-5000. Clerk offices keep daytime hours, so night and weekend bond questions go to the jail lobby.

Judicial commissioners set it. They answer to the General Sessions judges, and they arraign arrested people, set bonds, and set court dates. Sheriff James L. Berrong runs the jail, but the Sheriff's Office cannot raise or lower a bond. Only a commissioner or judge can change the number.

Tennessee law requires a person to be brought before a magistrate without unnecessary delay. In Blount County that magistrate is a judicial commissioner who is on duty in person at all hours. A bond decision does not wait for a court morning. Check Blount County Inmate Search again before you drive over.

Bring a government photo ID, the person's full name, and the exact bond amount from the search. Call 865-273-5245 before you leave home to ask how the jail wants cash or a bondsman's paperwork presented. Keep every receipt and write down the case number.

Not if you use a bondsman. A cash bond is the full amount. A professional bondsman charges about 10 percent of the bond for Tennessee residents. The bondsman then promises the court the whole amount if the person does not appear.

Tennessee residents usually pay a premium near 10 percent. The bondsman may add one $25 initiation fee and a $12 bail tax. Ask for a receipt for each charge. If the bondsman takes collateral, you must get a written receipt describing it and how to get it back. A bondsman may not drop the bond without good cause. Bondsmen are licensed by the state Board of Professional Bondsmen and must also be approved by the court in the judicial district.

Yes. Tennessee allows a bond backed by real estate located in Tennessee. It moves slower than cash, because the paperwork must be prepared and approved by the court. Ask the General Sessions Clerk at 865-273-5450 which forms the court wants and who must sign.

Sometimes. The law tells the court to consider a promise to appear or an unsecured bond first, using community ties, work, and record. Money bail comes next, and only when lighter conditions will not secure the person's return. A lawyer can ask the court to consider a promise to appear at the first hearing.

Tennessee law holds a person arrested for stalking, child abuse, elder abuse, or certain domestic offenses for 12 hours unless the official finds no threat to the victim. In some aggravated assault cases the hold can run up to 24 hours. Before release, the court orders no contact, and some cases add GPS monitoring that the defendant pays for if able.

Not always. Bail is a right for nearly every charge in Tennessee, and the constitution carves out only capital crimes. A no-bond entry can also mean a probation violation, a hold from another county, or a bond not yet set. Ask the commissioner at the Justice Center for the reason in writing, or ask a lawyer to request a hearing.

Most arrests start in General Sessions Court, which has four divisions. The General Sessions Clerk answers at 865-273-5450. The Circuit Court Clerk, who handles felony paperwork after indictment, is at 865-273-5400, 926 East Lamar Alexander Parkway.

The courthouse is at 341 Court Street in Maryville. The Clerk and Master is at 865-273-5500 and handles chancery matters, not criminal bonds. The General Sessions and Circuit clerks work from the Justice Center.

Alcoa, Friendsville, Louisville, Maryville, Rockford, and Townsend are all cities in the county. Tell the jail desk at 865-273-5245 which department made the arrest, so the booking record and any hold match. The bond process is the same.

The 5th Judicial District Public Defender's Office takes appointed cases and answers at 865-981-2395. Ask the court at the first appearance to appoint counsel if money is tight. A lawyer can bring proof of a job, family, and a local address to a bond review. Under Tennessee law, the court may weigh how long a person has lived here and who will vouch for them.

Call the Blount County Juvenile Detention Center, 329 Court Street, Maryville, at 865-273-5959. The juvenile clerk is at 865-273-5935 and the juvenile court office is at 865-273-5945. Juvenile cases are private, so the adult search may show nothing.

A missed date lets the court forfeit the bond and send out an arrest order. Call the clerk the same day and call a lawyer. If a bondsman signed the bond, the bondsman may also bring the person back to court.

A cash deposit is returned after the case ends and the person is discharged. Fines and court costs are taken out first. A bondsman's premium is the price of the service, so ask the bondsman before signing whether any part ever comes back.

No office takes gift cards for bond. Money sent to a jail account for calls or the commissary is not bail and does not release anyone. Verify any request by calling 865-273-5245 yourself.

• Jail: Blount County Jail, Blount County Justice Center, 940 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804; 865-273-5245
• Bond guide: Jail bail and bond page
• Sheriff's Office: Main line 865-273-5000; records 865-273-5003
• Custody lookup: Blount County Inmate Search
• Judicial commissioners: Justice Center, Maryville; on duty in person at all hours
• General Sessions Clerk: 865-273-5450
• Circuit Court Clerk: 926 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville; 865-273-5400
• Courthouse: 341 Court Street, Maryville
• Juvenile: Detention Center, 329 Court Street, Maryville, 865-273-5959; juvenile clerk 865-273-5935
• Public defender: 5th Judicial District, 865-981-2395

Bond amounts, fees, and office hours can change by court order. Confirm details for a specific case with the jail or a clerk before you hand over money. This page gives general information and is not legal advice.

When police make an arrest in Blount County, the first few court decisions can affect whether a person waits at home or in custody. The county seat is Maryville, but the exact courtroom depends on whether the charge is a city ordinance violation, a misdemeanor, or a felony. This guide explains the first appearance, the difference between minor and serious charges, court locations, lawyers, sentencing, juvenile cases, and federal prosecutions.

Circuit Court Clerk — court filings and hearing information

Blount County Circuit Court Clerk — Listed office address: 926 E Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804.

Circuit Court Clerk telephone: (865) 273-5400

Circuit clerks handle many criminal and civil filings. Chancery Courts usually address civil and equity matters, while General Sessions Courts handle many initial criminal hearings. Call the applicable clerk for the specific courtroom assignment.

Blount County: the county seat is Maryville. Tennessee General Sessions Court ordinarily handles initial criminal appearances, misdemeanor proceedings within its authority, and felony preliminary hearings. Felony jury trials are heard in the Circuit or Criminal Court serving Blount County. The Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for criminal filings and records in courts assigned to that clerk; some Tennessee counties have separate criminal clerks.

Courthouse and court clerk contacts

For the courtroom and judge that match a case, call the clerk's office listed on this page and give the full legal name.

Chancery Court generally hears civil matters such as certain family, property, estate, and business disputes; a Chancery clerk is not a substitute for the criminal clerk. The exact court named on a summons controls where the hearing takes place.

After a custodial arrest in Blount County, the arresting agency arranges booking and detention. The person may be housed in a county facility or another authorized jail under an established custody arrangement.

Booking may include identification, fingerprints, a photograph, a property inventory, and a medical or mental-health screening. The defendant is then brought before the proper judicial officer for a probable-cause and release decision as required by law. A family member should write down the full legal name, booking number if known, charges, and scheduled hearing.

A judge or authorized magistrate decides whether someone charged in Blount County can go home before trial and under what conditions. Release on recognizance means there is no up-front bond payment; other orders may require a cash deposit, surety, supervision, travel restrictions, or no contact with another person. Commercial bonding is permitted in Tennessee, but a bondsman cannot decide the court’s bond amount.

If the order allows payment, first establish whether the court or jail collects the money, the exact amount, and whether another hold prevents release. A paid bond does not erase the charges and missing court can lead to forfeiture and arrest.

Many less serious cases in Maryville begin in General Sessions Court. A prosecutor can discuss a plea, dismissal or diversion; not every offense qualifies. A defendant does not receive a full jury trial in General Sessions Court, and a final misdemeanor decision there requires appropriate consent or waiver under Tennessee law. The case may instead proceed in a court with jury-trial authority.

Maximum misdemeanor punishments

• Class A misdemeanor: up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both.
• Class B misdemeanor: up to 6 months and/or a fine up to $500.
• Class C misdemeanor: up to 30 days and/or a fine up to $50.

These are the usual class limits under Tenn. Code § 40-35-111, not promised outcomes. DUI, domestic assault and other offenses can add required fees, treatment, jail minimums, or enhanced penalties based on earlier convictions.

A felony complaint arising in Blount County may start before a General Sessions judge for the initial appearance and preliminary hearing. That hearing tests whether there is enough evidence to continue; it does not decide guilt. A grand jury may indict and the case then moves to the county’s Circuit or Criminal Court. Tennessee also provides other lawful charging routes and waivers in limited circumstances.

After formal charges, the defense can obtain discovery, seek hearings on contested evidence, negotiate a plea, or request trial. A serious felony trial typically uses a twelve-person jury. Felony cases can take substantially longer than minor citations, so hearing notices and attorney communications matter.

A homicide, robbery, rape, or aggravated-assault accusation in Blount County brings particularly serious release and sentencing questions. Judges examine the actual charge and lawful detention criteria; no family should assume that paying a bond automatically means release if there are warrants or other holds.

For example, Tennessee treats many intentional aggravated assaults involving serious bodily injury or a deadly weapon as Class C felonies, with a statutory class range of 3–15 years. Some forms are Class B or D, and the aggravated-assault statute separately caps the ordinary offense fine at $15,000. Murder and other offenses have special sentencing statutes beyond the ordinary felony chart. Defense counsel should review the exact subsection charged.

For a child under 18 accused of wrongdoing in Blount County, the juvenile-court process is different from an adult prosecution. Police or an intake officer may refer the complaint for informal services or ask the juvenile court to hear it. Detention is a separate decision and does not necessarily mean the child has been found delinquent.

A juvenile judge can consider supervision, treatment, community services, restitution, and placement when legally authorized. In especially serious cases, Tennessee law permits transfer proceedings to adult criminal court after a hearing and required findings. Families should ask promptly about appointed counsel, the detention hearing and any restrictions on release of a minor's records.

The punishment depends on the precise statute, offense date, prior record, and any mandatory or alternative-sentence rules. For crimes governed by ordinary Tennessee classification ranges, the overall imprisonment and usual maximum fines are:

• Class A: 15–60 years; ordinary fine ceiling $50,000.
• Class B: 8–30 years; ordinary fine ceiling $25,000.
• Class C: 3–15 years; ordinary fine ceiling $10,000.
• Class D: 2–12 years; ordinary fine ceiling $5,000.
• Class E: 1–6 years; ordinary fine ceiling $3,000.
• Class A misdemeanor: up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both.
• Class B misdemeanor: up to 6 months and/or a fine up to $500.
• Class C misdemeanor: up to 30 days and/or a fine up to $50.

A court may impose probation, diversion, restitution, treatment or a suspended sentence when the law permits. Tennessee’s felony offender-range rules narrow the sentence within the broader class range; special laws and prior violent convictions can change release eligibility. County jail and state prison are not interchangeable labels for every sentence.

Someone facing a criminal case in Blount County who cannot afford a private defense attorney may ask the judge for appointed counsel. The court reviews an affidavit or other proof about income, assets and ability to pay. An appointment can be through a district public defender or a conflict lawyer when the public defender cannot handle the case.

At the first hearing, the defendant should clearly say they want a lawyer and cannot afford one. A family member can help gather pay information and court papers but cannot waive the defendant’s rights for them. Tennessee has elected district public defenders, and their service areas can cross county borders.

Police in Maryville or another town in Blount County may issue a city citation rather than a county criminal warrant. Some Tennessee municipal courts handle ordinance violations and limited traffic matters; their powers depend on the local charter and state law. Serious criminal charges do not become city-court felonies merely because city police made the arrest.

Check the court name actually printed on the summons. If a charge carries criminal jail exposure, ask a lawyer whether the municipal court has authority over it and whether the case is before a General Sessions or state criminal court instead.

Blount County belongs to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee — Northern Division. The division’s listed courthouse is in Knoxville: 800 Market Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. A federal criminal case might involve interstate fraud, offenses on federal property, federal drug trafficking, some firearms offenses, or violations of federal criminal statutes. A state offense does not automatically become federal because it is serious.

Federal defendants may appear before a U.S. magistrate judge for detention and preliminary proceedings; felony cases usually proceed through indictment or another permitted federal charging process, followed by arraignment and trial or plea. Federal prison sentences are administered by the Bureau of Prisons. People awaiting trial or transfer may be held in a contracted or local detention center rather than a prison operated by BOP. Families can search the official Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator for eligible federal inmate records.

This Blount County guide offers general criminal-court information, not advice for a particular defendant. Law and court operations may change; a lawyer can explain the charge and next steps in the actual case.