(a) When complaint on oath is made to the judge of any juvenile court against a person to be charged with a violation of this part, the judge must issue a warrant requiring the arrest of the person charged and that person is to be brought before the judge for examination; provided, that if the person, being duly summoned or voluntarily appearing, acknowledges the obligation of support, the court may in its discretion enter a consent order in lieu of the issuance of a warrant.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-15-104

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: includes the singular and the plural and means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, association, corporation, governmental subdivision or agency, or other organization or other legal entity, or any agent or servant thereof. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Property: means anything of value, including, but not limited to, money, real estate, tangible or intangible personal property, including anything severed from land, library material, contract rights, choses-in-action, interests in or claims to wealth, credit, admission or transportation tickets, captured or domestic animals, food and drink, electric or other power. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) No arrest warrant shall issue for the violation of any court order of support if the violation occurred during a period of time in which the person was incarcerated in any penal institution and was otherwise unable to comply with the order; provided, that this section shall not prevent the determining of arrearages under any previous order, and enforcement of the order as is consistent with the person’s ability to comply.
(c) It is the duty of the governor to demand the return of any person charged under § 39-15-101(d) from the governor of any other state where the person may be found, upon proper warrant being issued or indictment being returned.
(d) Any court vested with jurisdiction to implement this part may enforce its orders and decrees by execution or in any way in which a court of equity may enforce its orders and decrees, including by imprisonment and fine for contempt. No property of the person, except all statutory homestead rights, shall be exempt from levy and sale under such execution or other process issued from the court. All provisions of title 36, chapter 5 that relate to child support or child support orders that include an order of spousal support and § 50-2-105 shall apply to support orders issued in these proceedings.
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