Clarksville, TN – Clarksville City Court will allow citizens to address City Court matters and citations using Zoom online conferencing in response to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
Most matters with the exception of actual trials can be resolved using Zoom.
The video conferencing option will begin on May 26th. Citizens must have an email account and either a smartphone that has a camera and a microphone or a laptop or desktop computer that has a camera and a microphone. The free Zoom application can be downloaded at Google Play or the App Store.
Citizens must call the court clerk’s office at 931-648-4604 and request to have their case scheduled using Zoom. The court will assign a Zoom meeting date and email an authorization/invitation. Participants can join the court session that day by clicking on the authorization sent by the court.
When citizens click on the invitation and enter the meeting, they will be placed in a waiting room — much like sitting in the courtroom, waiting for the judge to call a case.
Zoom will allow participants to see and speak with the judge to discuss and possibly resolve the case. Video and audio will need to be turned on and unmuted when participants are admitted to the courtroom/meeting. All Zoom court sessions will be recorded.
After a Zoom court hearing is over, participants simply click the “Leave the Meeting” tab. If the matter is not dismissed without costs and fines, costs, or fees are owed, they must be paid that day. They can be paid online at www.municipalonlinepayments.com/clarksvilletn/court/search
Citizens who are unable to pay on the same day as the hearing must set up a payment agreement with the court. This is required by state statute. If payment is not made or an agreement is not set up that day, the driver’s license will be subject to suspension.
If a person wishes to plead not guilty, the court will set a new court date for a person-to-person trial in which charges and evidence may be heard. No trials will be conducted using Zoom.
If a citizen requests a Zoom court date and fails to appear, it will be treated just as if the subject failed to appear for a person-to-person court date.
