Sheriff Anthony Lay began his career in 1995 as a Part-time Oneida Police Department Dispatcher under former Chief Mac Author Burchfield. He worked there for a short period of time and received a full-time position as a corrections officer at the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and later started working as a part-time road deputy as he still worked his full-time corrections job.

Sheriff Lay went to the Walter State Police Academy in 1998 and took a job as an Under Cover Narcotics officer for the 17th judicial drug and violent crime task force. He worked there under the direction of Tim Lane and was hired from the Lewisburg Police Department under former Chief Wayne Coomes.

Sheriff Lay come back home to Scott County and returned to the Scott County Sheriff’s Department as a full-time Deputy Sheriff working the road. He worked there for over a year and accepted a full time position as a Tennessee State Trooper under Governor Don Sunquest and Commissioner of Safety Mike Greene in 2000.

Sheriff Lay completed an intense six month training academy to be certified as a Tennessee State Trooper. He was assigned to the Chattanooga District in Rhea County. He worked the district for two and one-half years and transferred in the Knoxville District to Anderson County where he spent four and on-half years. Sheriff Lay worked on the patrol as a Trooper, riot control team member in Chattanooga, and a motor cycle trooper in Anderson County.

Sheriff Lay ran for election in 2006 against three opponents and was elected the Sheriff of Scott County August 3rd defeating former Sheriff Jim Carson by over 50% of the county vote. He resigned from the Highway Patrol August 21, 2006 and took office as Sheriff September 1, 2006 Sheriff Anthony Lay is the youngest Sheriff in the State of Tennessee at this time and was elected Sheriff at the age of 29.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS --
Since taking office on September 1, 2006, Sheriff Lay has done the following:

KEEPING THE PEACE
The Sheriff "is the Commander in Chief of the law forces of the County.  All judicial and ministerial officers of justice and all city officials are required to aid him, and the male population of his County is subject to his command "in the prevention and suppression, not only of violent breeches of the peace, but of all public offenses". 

"The duties and powers of a Sheriff within the limits of an incorporated city (i.e.: Oneida, Huntsville, Winfield) are precisely the same as in the remainder of the County.  The Law draws no distinction."

The Sheriff is the conservator of the peace, and it is the Sheriff's duty to suppress all affrays, riots, routs, unlawful assemblies, insurrections, or other breaches of the peace.  In addition, it is the duty of the Sheriff to ferret out, detect and prevent crime, secure evidence of crimes, and to apprehend and arrest criminals.  The Sheriff is also charged with patrolling the roads of the County.  The Sheriff must furnish the necessary deputies to carry out these duties.

SERVING THE PROCESSES OF THE COURTS (WARRANTS)
It is the duty of the Sheriff to execute and return, according to law, the process and orders of the Courts of record of this state, and of officers of competent authority, with due diligence, when delivered to the Sheriff for that purpose.  It is the duty of the Sheriff to execute, within the County, all writs and other process legally issued and directed to the Sheriff and to make due return thereof, either personally or by a lawful deputy or, in civil lawsuits, only by a lawfully appointed civil process server.  It is the duty of the Sheriff to levy every writ of execution upon a defendant's property, first on the defendant's goods and chattels if there are any and upon the defendant's lands in order to satisfy the plaintiff's judgment, and upon a surety's property in the proper case.

COURT SECURITY (ATTENDING THE COURTS)
The Sheriff is charged with the Custody and Security of the Courthouse.  It is the duty of the Sheriff to prevent trespasses, exclude intruders, keep the courthouse grounds in order - reporting from time to time the repairs and expense to the the County legislative body.  Further, it is the duty of the Sheriff to see that the state and national flags are properly displayed in each court room while the County legislative body is in session.

OPERATION OF THE JAIL
It is the duty of the Sheriff to take charge and custody of the jail of the County and the prisoners therein.  The Sheriff is charged with receiving those persons lawfully committed to the jail and or jailer until they are lawfully discharged.  It is the duty of the Sheriff to have someone at the jail with keys to liberate the prisoners in case of fire.

OTHER DUTIES OF THE SHERIFF -- (These are just some of the many extra duties a sheriff enforces.)
- Summon Jurors - The Sheriff only serves the summons that is handed to him.  The Sheriff does not select who is
    summoned for jury duty.
- Transport persons of metal illness.
- Reports to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations.
- Intoxicating Liquors
- Prepare a budget for operations for the County legislative body.
- Enforcement of ammunition tax laws.
- Investigations of osteopathic physicians.