Davidson County General Sessions Court
Announces and Welcomes First Court Social Worker
Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County General Sessions Court is proud to announce the addition of its first court social worker, Laura Frazier, MSW, MOL, who will serve individuals involved in criminal, civil, and traffic courts.
This newly created position reflects the long-standing vision of Presiding Judge Robin Kimbrough Hayes, who has been passionate about expanding supportive services and improving access to community resources for individuals navigating the court system.
“Social workers bring vital human context to the adversarial court system. By bridging the gap between legal proceedings and human needs, they advocate for clients, provide holistic assessments, and guide vulnerable individuals through the complexities of the justice system,” said Judge Hayes.
In this role, Laura will assist all litigants in General Sessions Court by helping connect individuals to essential resources and supportive services, including food assistance, shelter, healthcare, mental health services, employment support, and other community-based programs.
Laura brings more than a decade of legal experience, having previously worked as a paralegal in criminal defense, civil, and corporate law. Her experience navigating complex legal systems and working alongside individuals facing significant personal and systemic challenges ultimately inspired her transition into social work and strengthened her passion for advocacy and community support.
Prior to being hired into this role, Laura completed field placement work within Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County’s Shelter Court, assisting individuals experiencing homelessness with accessing community resources and supportive services.
As the first social worker within Nashville General Sessions Court, Laura’s role represents an important step toward increasing access to care, reducing barriers, and strengthening community support within the justice system.
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CIRCUIT COURT CLERK WARNS PUBLIC ABOUT OUTSTANDING TICKET SCAM
Good day,
Our General Sessions-Civil and Traffic Violation Bureau offices are answering an increased number of calls from customers that are receiving scam e-mails and text messages referencing an outstanding parking violation/toll violation.
It is a scam. Please see Press Release Spam Email and Text Messages.
Best,
Joseph P. Day, MSP
Circuit Court Clerk
Nashville, Davidson County
1 Public Square, Suite 301
Nashville, TN 37201
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Mission Statement
Metropolitan General Sessions Court is committed to excellence in administering justice and is a contributing partner working toward a safe and vital community in Nashville-Davidson County.
Presiding Judge Robin Kimbrough Hayes, Division V (5)
Click here for Judge Kimbrough Hayes bio
Overview
The Metropolitan General Sessions Court of Nashville-Davidson County is a high-volume limited jurisdiction Court that hears civil, misdemeanor, felony, traffic, environmental, and metropolitan ordinance violations. This Court is served by eleven judges that are elected to an eight-year term. There are also fifteen law-trained judicial magistrates that handle the probable cause hearings in the issuance of a criminal warrant and one referee that handles the environmental cases and other non-traffic metro ordinance violations.
Justice A.A. Birch
Adolpho A. Birch, Jr. (September 22, 1932 – August 25, 2011) was an American lawyer and judge who was the first African American to serve as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Birch is the only person in Tennessee history to serve in every level of the state’s judiciary. In 1969, Governor Buford Ellington appointed him as a General Sessions Court judge in Davidson County, making him the first African American to serve in that office. In 1970 he was elected to the judgeship, the first time an African American won election as a judge in the county.