About Us
400 Main Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
Court Rules and Procedures
Coming to Court
The Criminal Court Clerk's Office includes Criminal, General Sessions - Criminal, and Fourth Circuit Court. Our offices are responsible with keeping and maintaining records of the courts. In addition, our offices provide various services to the public and collects and distributes court fines and fines.
Mike Hammond,
Knox County Criminal Court Clerk
Clerk Mike Hammond was first elected to serve the people of Knox County in 2004 as a Knox County Commissioner representing the Fifth District. He served as a commissioner for ten years including serving as Chairman. After his tenure as County Commissioner, Clerk Hammond was elected Criminal Court Clerk in 2014. Since his first term, Clerk Hammond has spearheaded efforts like upgrading technology, implementing services that positively impact the community, and turning over $6.5 million to Knox County due to efficient fiscal operations.
Before serving Knox County, Clerk Hammond spent 46 years as a private sector manager in the radio broadcasting industry. During his broadcasting career, Clerk Hammond was named Broadcaster of the year by the Associated Press, program director of the year by the Country Music Association, Radio and Records, and Country Aircheck trade magazines. In 1996, he received the prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Award for his on-air reporting of tornadoes striking east Tennessee. He was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2010 by Taylor Swift.
Clerk Hammond currently serves as a board member for Alzheimer's Tennessee, the Knoxville Family Justice Center, and the Tennessee State Court Clerk Associations. He is also the public address announcer for the Lady Vols Basketball Team.
Clerk Hammond is married to Dawn Hammond. He is also a proud father, grandfather, and stepfather.
You can click here to contact the Criminal Court Clerk, Mike Hammond
Each court is supported by a team of deputy clerks. The court team may include a bench clerk, computer clerk, and a docket clerk. As a team, the deputy clerks maintain the records of the court and carry out the orders of the Judges. Our courts include Criminal, General Sessions - Criminal, and Fourth Circuit.
Supporting the efforts of the courts doesn't always happen inside the courtroom. Our Deputy Clerk team also includes specialties in jail processing, managing the evidence vault and files, working with attorneys, subpoenas, and data redaction.
The Finance Department is responsible for the proper collection of court ordered fines and fees and the distribution of collected costs to victims of crimes or the appropriate agencies. Members of the finance team are also available to assist individuals with court related questions through the call center and at the counter.
In addition to administrative services to the court, the Criminal Court Clerk's Office also provides service to the community. Services include helping individuals reinstate their driver's licenses, offering criminal background check packages, and providing expungement screenings through the partnership with the District Attorney General's Office.
Knox County Citizens play an important role by serving as jurors for criminal trials. The Criminal Jury Services Team led by the Criminal Jury Coordinator sends out summonses, assists jurors through the registration process, and prepares jurors for voir dire when they are called to report for jury service.