This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
If you are charged with a crime in Tennessee, you have the right to have your case decided by a jury. This applies to almost all criminal charges, except for very minor offenses. You do not have to give up this right unless you choose to.
If you want to skip a jury trial and instead have a judge decide your case alone (this is called a "bench trial"), you can do that. But you have to make this choice before the jury is sworn in for your trial. Once the jury is sworn in, it's too late to change your mind.
To give up your right to a jury trial, three things have to happen. First, you must put your decision in writing. Second, the prosecutor (the district attorney) has to agree to it. Third, the judge has to approve it. All three of these steps are required. If any one of them is missing, you cannot waive your jury trial.
