White County judge can now hear adoption cases

John Meadows, White County General Sessions Court judge

White County General Sessions Court Judge John Meadows says adoption has been a priority for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the legislature and is also a priority in White County.

Under Tennessee law, only chancery and circuit courts previously had jurisdiction, power, and authority to hear and decide adoption cases. That officially changed in White County, on July 25, when the Tennessee Secretary of State received confirmation that, on July 17, the White County Board of Commissioners ratified a Private Act for Adoption Jurisdiction for White County, Private Chapter 15, House Bill 1555, sponsored by State Representative Paul Sherrell, Senate Bill 1540, 113th General Assembly, sponsored by Senator Paul Bailey.

A Private Act is a law that applies to a single person, group, or area. This Private Act allows the White County General Sessions Court judge to have concurrent jurisdiction, power, and authority with chancery and circuit courts to hear and determine all adoption cases. White County residents often had to wait to be scheduled on a crowded docket and then travel to Cookeville for an adoption hearing. The General Assembly passed the bill April 3, 2023, and Gov. Lee approved it April 25 to allow White County General Sessions Court to hear adoption cases. The intention is for cases to be heard in a timelier manner and inside White County.

White County is in the 13th Judicial District, along with Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, and Putnam counties. Two circuit court judges and one chancery court judge are assigned to serve all seven counties in the 13th Judicial District. White County has one General Sessions Court judge. This Private Act should cut out long wait times because of court scheduling, showing how much White County prioritizes adoption.

Judge Meadows is eager to provide this service to the residents of White County and says the Private Act is something that many individuals in the county and state government have been working toward for some time.

When asked for her thoughts about the Private Act, attorney Cindy Judd Morgan said, “I am extremely happy. Juvenile court has previously had jurisdiction to terminate parental rights but could not do adoptions. Now the same judge can hear the termination case and finalize the adoption as well. Chancery court is overwhelmed with cases, and this will take a little of the burden off of chancery court and provide continuity and familiarity to families that foster and then adopt. It is a very positive move that should be done statewide.”

In addition to the Private Act, the 113th General Assembly passed several changes to the existing adoption law. In April, Gov. Lee signed the “Forever Homes Act.”

“We have an obligation to ensure that Tennessee children have a loving, permanent home, and the Forever Homes Act is an additional step that will provide critical support to foster and adoptive families and accelerate child placement,” Gov. Lee said.

According to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, the legislation will “accelerate child placement, namely allowing for a judicial waiver to speed adoption finalization from six to three months if a court sees fit.”