Part-time, Fill in Magistrate; Judicial Commissioner - Davidson County General Sessions Court

Full‑Time Judicial Commissioners

There are 5 "Full‑Time" Judicial Commissioners who rotate working eight‑hour shifts 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Their work shifts are 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Full‑Time Judicial Commissioners serve a three‑year term of office from September 1 through August 31. All Judicial Commissioners must be reappointed by the GSCT judges at the end of their term.

There are 5 "Power Shift" Judicial Commissioners who rotate working five‑hour shifts 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Their work shifts are 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Power Shift Judicial Commissioners serve a one‑year term of office from September 1 through August 31. All Judicial Commissioners must be reappointed by the GSCT judges at the end of their term.

General Sessions Court maintains a roster of available part‑time "Fill‑In" Judicial Commissioners who will be called upon to work either a full shift or part of a shift whenever a Full‑Time or Power Shift Magistrate is absent and cannot work when scheduled. Absent extraordinary circumstances, Fill‑In Commissioners are expected to be available and willing to work when called upon even on short notice.

Fill‑In Judicial Commissioners are paid by the hour. There are no set hours. There is no guaranteed number of hours during any one‑year term of office; however, all Fill‑In Commissioners are required to work at least 25 hours each year. The current hourly rate is $74.28.

• Conduct probable cause hearings and issue criminal warrants and set bail bonds.
• Conduct video hearings involving arrestees holding in the Downtown Detention Center, the Police Domestic Violence Unit, or the Sheriff’s Mobile Booking Unit. Video hearings are also conducted with the Jean Crowe Advocacy Center and the Metro Office of Family Safety.
• Conduct probable cause hearings with psychiatric facilities for emergency mental health committals.
• Process petitions for orders of protection and issue temporary ex parte orders of protection.
• Issue property seizure warrants upon probable cause being established.

• Issue search warrants during non‑regular business hours or sometimes during regular business hours if a General Sessions Judge is not available upon request of the Metro Police Department.

Must have the same qualifications as a General Sessions Judge: must be 30 years old, have a law degree, be licensed to practice law in Tennessee for a minimum of 5 years, and be a Tennessee resident for 5 years. Must be a current Davidson County resident. Must maintain the physical stamina and mental capabilities such as thinking, perceiving, and remembering to perform the duties required.

Must abide by and be in good standing with ethical standards and the disciplinary rules in the Rules of Professional Conduct pursuant to Rule 8 of the Tennessee Supreme Court Rules. Personal computer skills are necessary to operate Metro’s Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) and Davidson County’s E‑Filing System. Recognize and understand that the Tennessee Rules of Judicial Conduct apply when serving in this judicial capacity.

Candidates with accreditations earned in a foreign institute are encouraged to apply.

Licensed to practice law in Tennessee for a minimum of 5 years.

Must successfully complete a training program (up to 30 hours) that includes training in CJIS, ARMS (Arrest System), E‑Flex (E‑Filing System), probable cause, pre‑trial/bail setting, judicial ethics, domestic violence, orders of protection, search warrants, forfeiture warrants, mental health committals, and other areas. After classroom training, there will be shadowing assignments for all 3 full‑time shifts in an observing role for 2 hours each shift and assuming primary duty for 2 hours during different shifts with oversight from an on‑duty commissioner.

Complete training program and shadowing could take up to 6–8 weeks. Candidates will be required to sign a Release and Authorization…