Bristol
A Good Place To Live

The Court Services Division provides support to the Bristol Municipal Court and Bristol Juvenile Court. 

The Municipal Court hears charges for the violation of city ordinances and codes adopted by the City Council, including those regulating the operation of vehicles in the city.  The Municipal Judge is appointed by City Council for a term of four (4) years.  Municipal Judge Shelton B. Hillman, Jr., has continuously served as Municipal Judge since 1982.

The Bristol Juvenile Court is established under Chapter 10 of the city charter.  It has authority to hear matters concerning children under 18 years of age residing within the City of Bristol Tennessee, and children under 18 years of age that commit violations of law within the city.   The court hears cases pertaining to child abuse and neglect; unruly behavior, which includes truancy and curfew violations; delinquency; child support; parentage; traffic; visitation; termination of parental rights; and some cases involving adults such as contributing to the unruly or delinquent behavior of minors.  The Bristol Juvenile Court Judge is elected for an eight-year term of office. 

Judge Randy M. Kennedy now serves in that position, he was born and raised in Bristol, Tennessee.  He attended Bristol, Tennessee High School, followed by East Tennessee State University where he graduated in 1976 with a B.S. degree and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.  He was then accepted to Memphis State University's law school program where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi fraternity and graduated with his J.D. in 1979.  Judge Kennedy was admitted in 1979 to practice law in all Tennessee State Courts and is also admitted to the United States Federal District Courts for the Eastern District of Tennessee. 

In 2010, Judge Kennedy was unanimously appointed by Bristol Tennessee City Council as the City of Bristol, Tennessee Juvenile Judge and then elected in May 2011.  

He is member of both Bristol and Tennessee Bar Associations.  Judge Kennedy is presently Board Counsel for the Bristol Tennessee-Virginia Association of Realtors and Chairman of the Sullivan County Health, Educational and Housing Facilities Board. 

In the past, he has also served as Bristol Tennessee Bar Association President and Treasurer, President of Theatre Bristol Board of Directors, Coach, Judge and Scorer for area High School Students' Mock Trial Competitions and has spoken at Career Days at both Vance Middle and Tennessee High Schools. 

An elected Juvenile Court Clerk supports the court and is elected for a four-year term of office.  Ms. Gay Hillman has served as the Bristol Juvenile Court Clerk since 1995.

Services provided by the Juvenile Court include but are not limited to counseling, probation supervision, alcohol and drug education classes, Better Choices Program, Teen Court, Street Law Education Classes, adolescent activity groups, Attendance Review Committee, Youth Driving School, and Foster Care Review Boards.

For more information call:

104 8^th Street
Municipal Annex
Bristol, Tennessee
37620
423-989-5553      

    

   
       Judge Randy Kennedy
       Juvenile Court Judge
email: rkennedy@bristoltn.org

104 8^th Street
Municipal Annex
Bristol, Tennessee
37620
423-989-5553




         Marjorie Miller
     Juvenile Court Manager
  email:  mmiller@bristoltn.org