Scott County Justice Center
The Scott County Justice Center is a modern government facility located at 535 Scott High Drive in Huntsville, Tenn., serving as the primary judicial and law enforcement hub for Scott County. The Justice Center has been in use since 2008 and consolidated the county’s courts, jail, and associated offices into a single purpose-built complex, replacing functions that had previously been distributed across older downtown facilities.
Location and Setting
The Justice Center sits on Scott High Drive on the western side of Huntsville, away from the historic downtown courthouse square. The building is located on landscaped grounds several miles west of the old courthouse in Huntsville. This placement reflects the growth of Huntsville’s civic infrastructure beyond its original 19th-century footprint near Court Street.
Architecture and Design
The Justice Center was designed by SouthBuild and is a brick modern structure built in 2008. The building faces north and is a red and buff colored brick and concrete structure. The northwest front has a projecting center section of light red colored brick with a portico and recessed entrance on the north side. The main building has yellow colored brick on the upper part and light red colored brick on the lower one-third, which has square windows. The roof line is flat. The contractor for the facility was Henson Construction Services Inc., and the project manager was Spirit Architecture Group LLC.
Construction and History
The County Justice Center was constructed in 2007 to 2008, representing the latest phase in Scott County’s long history of courthouse construction. Prior county judicial facilities dated to the 19th century, with the original courthouse erected in 1851, a second in 1874, and a third sandstone structure built in 1906 that burned in 1946 and was subsequently rebuilt with a brick exterior.
When the Scott County Justice Center opened in 2008, the jail, the offices of the Sheriff’s Department, the courts, the Circuit Court Clerk and Clerk & Master, and the District Attorney General all moved to the justice center. This consolidation vacated the downtown courthouse of its judicial functions, allowing that building to be repurposed for administrative offices.
The opening of the Justice Center also marked the permanent closure of the historic Old Scott County Jail on the downtown courthouse square. The old jail was closed for good in 2008 with the opening of the Scott County Justice Center.
Offices and Functions
The Justice Center consists of two courtrooms, a jail, and several office suites. It houses the administrative offices of the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Circuit Court and Circuit Court Clerk, Chancery Court and Clerk & Master, Criminal Court, General Sessions Court, and the District Attorney General. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
See Also: Guide to Government
Courts
Scott County is part of Tennessee’s 8th Judicial District. The 8th Judicial District also includes Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, and Union counties.
The district’s Circuit Court Judge is John McAfee, who has served since September 1, 2004. The Circuit Court Clerk’s office is responsible for maintaining court records and dockets in Circuit, Criminal, and General Sessions courts, and for attending each session of court for the purpose of recording minutes. The clerk’s office is also responsible for the collection of court fees, litigation taxes, fines, and other fees.
Scott County General Sessions Court is in session Monday through Friday at the Justice Center, with the Honorable Scarlett Ellis presiding. General Sessions Court is responsible for arraignments and preliminary hearings in criminal cases and for various civil cases. Judge Ellis also presides over Scott County Juvenile Court and Drug Court.
Jared Effler serves as District Attorney General in the 8th Judicial District, with his local offices located at the Scott County Justice Center on Scott High Drive.
Sheriff’s Department and Jail
The Justice Center serves as the headquarters for the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and houses the county’s detention facility. The jail’s phone and video visit system allows for home video visits, on-site video visits, e-messaging, voicemail messages to and from inmates, monitored entertainment options, a law library, learning management, e-books, audiobooks, podcasts, music, news and sports, and personal mail scanning.
Relationship to Other County Facilities
The Justice Center is one of three principal government facilities serving Scott County in Huntsville. The Old Scott County Courthouse at 282 Court Street houses the County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Assessor of Property, and the Scott County Historical Society. The Scott County Office Building at 2845 Baker Highway houses the County Mayor, Trustee, Election Commission, and Office on Aging.