Juvenile Court

Juvenile Court - A court of record where all records are sealed. The Juvenile Court Clerk is the keeper of the court's records and all documents filed in the Court. The clerk's office is responsible for the preparation of the minutes the Juvenile Court and processing the paperwork associated with the juvenile cases during their progress through the Juvenile Court System. Cases in Juvenile Court are confidential.

A juvenile is defined as any individual who is under the chronological age of eighteen (18) years and who has not been previously transferred to adult court. Juvenile courts deal not only with delinquency and status offenses, but also with issues concerning dependency and neglect, child abuse, child support, custody issues, establishing parentage, visitation, and the need for medical and/or mental health treatment for children. Tennessee's juvenile courts have jurisdiction within the following areas:

• Adjudication of children as dependent and neglected, abused, status/unruly, or delinquent
• Determination of custody
• Termination of parental rights
• Ordering of treatment, evaluation and/or commitment of a developmentally disabled or mentally ill children
• Commitment of children to the custody of the Department of Children Services
• Establishment of parentage
• Ordering and enforcement of child support for children of unwed parents
• Establishing visitation for non-custodial parents
• Enforcement of the compulsory school attendance laws
• Removal of the age restrictions on a minor's application for a marriage license
• Giving of judicial consent to a minor's employment or enlistment in the armed services if law requires such consent
• Giving of judicial consent to the medical treatment of a child when his/her parents or guardians are unable to do so
• Adjudication of alleged traffic violations by persons under the age of eighteen
• Transfer of serious delinquency cases to criminal court for trial as adults

Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-159, the juvenile court is a court of record. It may enforce its orders in any way in which a court of equity may enforce its orders and decrees, including by imprisonment and/or by fine for contempt.

Juvenile Court Judge

Judge Vicki S. Snyder
Juvenile Court Judge, Henry County

Education

• Attended school in Henry County graduating with honors from Henry County High School in 1976. Graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin, with honors, in 1980---received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology.
• Attended and graduated from The University of Memphis School of Law in 1985 earning a Juris Doctorate Degree. While in law school was an Associate Justice with the Moot Court Board and champion Moot Court counsel.

Vocational

• Employed as a social worker with the Department of Human Services prior to law school. After, and during, law school clerked for the Shelby County Criminal Court Judges. Judge Snyder was engaged in the private practice of law, served as Assistant District Attorney General and Assistant Public Defender for the 24th Judicial District.

Public & Civic Service

• Henry County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge. Serves or served on the Board of Directors for REAL Hope Youth Center, Paris Lakeway Kiwanis Club, Plus Endowment Board, Family Resource Center and the Henry County Literacy Council. Serves or served on Tennessee General Sessions Judges Legislative, Education and Executive committees; Tennessee Family and Juvenile Court Judges Legislative and Executive Committees. Member of Tennessee and Henry County Bar Associations and the American Bar Association.