White House Criminal Defense Attorney
White House is in two counties at once. That single fact decides which courthouse hears your case, which sheriff books you, and which District Attorney's office reads the file. A White House criminal defense attorney has to work on both sides of that line.
Where a White House Case Is Actually Heard
The city's own words: “The City of White House, TN, is located in both Sumner and Robertson counties.” One city, one police department, one municipal court — and two county court systems behind them. A city ordinance citation goes to White House Municipal Court at 105D College Street no matter which side you were on. A state criminal charge follows the county where the offense happened: Sumner County courts in Gallatin, or Robertson County courts in Springfield.
The municipal court's published authority is narrow and it is worth quoting, because it settles the question: the court “tries persons charged with the violation of municipal ordinances and shall have the power to levy fines, penalties and costs, not to exceed the maximum allowed under state law.” Municipal ordinances. That is the whole grant. There is no concurrent General Sessions jurisdiction in it, which means a state charge written by a White House officer does not stay in the Board Room at City Hall. It leaves for a county courthouse, and which one depends on geography rather than on the officer.
Which Court Has Your Case
A city court and a county court are not two doors into the same building. They answer to different law, carry different consequences and produce different records. Start by working out which one is holding your case, because almost everything else follows from it.
| What you are charged with | Where it is heard |
|---|---|
| City ordinance citation | White House Municipal Court, 105D College Street, 2nd floor Board Room. Same court either side of the county line, because its authority comes from the city charter rather than from county geography |
| State charge, offense on the Sumner County side | Sumner County General Sessions, 155 East Main Street, Gallatin. Felonies go on to Sumner County Criminal Court |
| State charge, offense on the Robertson County side | Robertson County courts in Springfield. A different District Attorney's office, a different bench and different programs |
| Which side you were on | Decided by the offense location in the officer's report, not by your address and not by where you were driving to |
A city court cannot do what a county court does. The statute that governs this is § 16-18-302, and it is short about it: a municipal court hears cases for violation of the laws and ordinances of the municipality, and “may exercise no jurisdiction other than the jurisdiction authorized by this section.” There are two narrow openings. A city ordinance that mirrors a state statute can be enforced there only where the mirrored offense is a Class C misdemeanor and the penalty is a civil fine of no more than $50. And a municipal court can hold concurrent General Sessions jurisdiction over state criminal law, but only where the statute preserves or confers it — the main route being a court that possessed and exercised it continuously on and before May 11, 2003. Those courts are the exception rather than the rule. Further up, § 40-3-101 allows a criminal charge to be answered only by presentment, indictment or impeachment, with one exception in the same sentence: an accused represented by an attorney may waive indictment and consent to prosecution by information. And § 40-1-109 lets General Sessions enter final judgment only in a misdemeanor, and only where the defendant waives indictment, presentment, grand jury investigation and a jury trial in writing and either pleads guilty in writing or asks for a trial on the merits.
One more thing worth knowing: paying a citation is not a neutral administrative step. Some Tennessee cities print it on the citation in terms, that a violator who chooses to pay thereby pleads guilty. In others it operates as a forfeited cash appearance bond that lets you skip the court date. Either way the case ends against you rather than in your favor, and on a moving violation it reaches your driving record. Read what your own citation says before you pay it.
The Buildings Involved
Confirm your setting with the clerk before you travel. Court locations and docket days change, and the addresses below are current as of the date on this page rather than guaranteed forever.
| Where | What happens there |
|---|---|
| White House Police Department 303 N Palmers Chapel Rd, White House 37188 |
Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Records and Community Relations |
| White House Municipal Court 105D College Street, 2nd Floor Board Room, White House 37188 |
City ordinance violations only. It sits in the city hall building rather than a courthouse of its own. The city does not publish session days, and directs defendants to their citation |
| Billy S Hobbs Community Center 105D College Street, White House 37188 |
Where the city takes citation payments in person, by cash, check or money order |
| Sumner County Courthouse 155 East Main Street, Gallatin 37066 |
General Sessions, for a state charge on the Sumner side |
Living on a County Line
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Two addresses on the same street can be two different court systems
This is not a technicality. A state charge on the Sumner side goes to Gallatin, into the 18th Judicial District, where there is a DUI court, a Mental Health Court and a Recovery Court. A state charge on the Robertson side goes to Springfield, into a different district entirely, with its own prosecutors and its own programs. Same city, same police department, same night.
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Austin practices on the Sumner side
Patriot Law's service area covers Sumner County and the six other counties listed across this site. Robertson County is not among them. If your White House case landed on the Robertson side, say so on the first call and Austin will tell you straight away rather than after a consultation. That is a better outcome for you than a lawyer who takes the file and learns the county later.
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Paying at the community center is still a guilty plea
White House takes citation payments at the Billy S Hobbs Community Center, online, or by mail, and the city warns that failing to pay or appear can lead to driver license suspension. What the convenience of the arrangement hides is that paying a citation in Tennessee is a plea of guilty. For a city ordinance matter that may be fine. For anything that touches a driving record, it is worth a call first.
What a White House Criminal Defense Attorney Handles Here
This page is about where your case is heard. The charge pages below are about what you are facing, statute by statute, including the Tennessee changes that took effect on July 1, 2026.
Nearby cities
The county
White House cases are heard in the Sumner County court system. That page goes through the court structure, the specialty courts and the local rules in detail.
Sumner County criminal defense · All practice areas · Veterans defense
White House Questions
Which county is White House in?
Both. The city states it plainly: it is located in both Sumner and Robertson counties. For a criminal case that is not trivia — it decides which county's General Sessions court hears a state charge, which sheriff books an arrestee, and which District Attorney's office handles the prosecution.
How do I know which side my case is on?
The offense location in the officer's report controls, not your home address. If the paperwork does not make it obvious, the court named on your citation or charging document will, and the clerk's office for that court can confirm. This is the first thing to pin down on a White House case, before anything else.
Can White House Municipal Court handle my criminal charge?
Only if it is a city ordinance violation. The court's published authority is to try persons charged with violating municipal ordinances and to levy fines, penalties and costs up to the state maximum. There is no concurrent General Sessions jurisdiction, so a state offense — a DUI, an assault, a drug charge — goes to a county court.
Do you take Robertson County cases?
No. The service area is Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, Cheatham and Smith counties. If a White House case sits on the Robertson side, Austin will say so on the first call. The Sumner County page covers the side Austin does handle.
One Lawyer, Start to Finish
Austin Tomlinson served in the Army before practicing law, and he handles every case himself. Hiring a White House criminal defense attorney here means the person who appears at your first setting is the person who knows the file at the end of it.
The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. It is usually enough to tell you what the realistic outcomes are and what has to happen first.
Call (615) 669-8312Read the Court Name First
The name of the court on your paperwork settles more than people expect, including what the worst outcome actually is.
Do Not Pay It Yet
Paying a citation ends the case against you, and in many cities it is a guilty plea outright. If there is any chance you would contest it, that call comes first.
Veteran-Owned
Austin served, and Patriot Law was built around defending people who did.