Circuit Court Judges

Overview


Tennessee’s trial courts include Chancery, Criminal, Circuit, Probate Courts. Currently, there are 157 trial and probate judges within the 32 Judicial District in Tennessee. Williamson County comprises the 21st Judicial District.

In the 21st Judicial District, there are Chancery and Circuit Courts. Probate matters are filed in Chancery Court, and criminal matters are filed in Circuit Court. The Judges of the 21st Judicial District are all designated as Circuit Judges. These Judges sit as Chancellors when holding Chancery Court. There are four divisions for the Circuit Court of the 21st Judicial District with a separate Judge for each division.

Judge Joseph A. Woodruff sits in Division I; Judge Deana C. Hood sits in Division II; Judge Michael W. Binkley sits in Division III, and Judge Deanna Bell Johnson sits in Division IV. The Judges of Division I through Division IV are assigned to responsibility for all civil and criminal dockets in Williamson County.

All criminal cases are divided in Part I and Part II. Judge Woodruff and Judge Binkley manage all of the Part I criminal cases. Judge Hood and Judge Johnson manage all of the Part II criminal cases. All non-criminal cases (including divorces, personal injury, business disputes, declaratory judgments, and breach of contracts, among others) are assigned on a random basis at the time of filing to one of the Divisions (I, II, III or IV). The Judge of the assigned Division handles the case through disposition.

The Judges/Chancellors of the 21st Judicial District maintain offices in the Williamson County Judicial Center located at 135 Fourth Avenue South in Franklin, Tennessee. These offices are staffed by four Judicial Legal Assistants, namely, Cathy Barton for Division I; Amy Arnold, Paralegal, for Division II, Deborah Rubenstein, PLS/CLP, for Division III, and Stacy Green, Paralegal, for Division IV.

Phone Number – 615-425-4009
Fax Number for Divisions II & IV – 615-790-4424
Fax Number for Divisions I & III – 615-790-5047

Hours
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.