Since I (Jerri Bryant) have taken office as the 6th Chancellor of the Chancery Court in McMinn County, I  have had many ask about the history of this court as well as what a Chancellor does. 

In the practice of law in Chancery Court there are certain underlying principles called maxims which have become the source for many judicial decisions.  Such maxims follow principles of universal justice.  Chancellors were originally the "keepers of the King's conscience"  with the authority to do whatever "good conscience and good reason" required in a particular case.

Many of these maxims can serve well as guideposts in life.  Examples of such maxims include:  "equity will not suffer a wrong with a remedy", "those who seek equity must do equity", and "equity requires diligence, clean hands, and good faith".  These maxims are a form of the Biblical phrase, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and the old doctrine of "clean hands, pure heart".  

In Chancery Court these maxims refer to civil matters mostly involving businesses, family law, workers' compensation, land, probate matters, and more recently , discrimination cases.  Most civil matters can be decided in Chancery Court, unless a law says it must be filed in another court.

Even with these maxims, equity must follow the law, though in many cases what seems fair may not be what is called for by the law.  The Judge must follow the law.  Chancery court can not ignore the law given to the State by the legislature and higher Courts.

The Chancery Court in this area served nineteen (19) counties until 1984, when it was changed to cover four (4) counties:  Bradley, Polk, McMinn and Monroe.

This Court has been served by the following Chancellors:

V.C. Allen
1911-1915

Foster H. Mercer
1915-1918

Thomas Lawrence Stewart
1918-1969

Glenn W. Woodlee
1947-1969

Earl H. Henley
1969-1998

Jerri Saunders Bryant
1998-present

    As you can see, Chancery Court is steeped in history and is to be guided by age old wisdom with everyday applications.