The judges of Anderson County will dedicate a plaque in memory of deceased Anderson County practicing attorneys on Monday, May 1, “Law Day.†The presentation will take place at noon May 1 on the third floor of the Anderson County Courthouse, in the Circuit Courtroom.
The public is welcome to attend.
Bill Haslam
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and former Governor Phil Bredesen will discuss a constitutional amendment that could affect the judicial system during a Wednesday celebration of Constitution Day at the University of Tennessee.
Amendment 2 to the Tennessee Constitution will be on the ballot in November. It proposes new checks and balances to the governor’s appointment of Supreme Court and intermediate appellate court judges. It also protects the rights of Tennesseans to vote to retain or replace those judges in retention elections, UT said in a press release.
Haslam and Bredesen will discuss the amendment at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Toyota Auditorium of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. The discussion will be moderated by Doug Blaze, dean of UT’s College of Law.
It’s part of the Baker Center’s celebration of Constitution Day on Wednesday. Free and open to the public, the day’s events will also include: [Read more…]
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade, right, talks to reporters during a campaign stop at Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen on Thursday. Also pictured is Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan.
In most elections, voters don’t pay much attention to the retention elections for judges.
This year, though, the decision on whether to keep three of the five Tennessee Supreme Court justices on the bench is one of the most closely watched races in the state. More than $1 million has already been spent.
The three judges facing retention elections this Thursday—Chief Justice Gary Wade and Justices Sharon Lee and Cornelia Clark—were in Oak Ridge last Thursday trying to convince local voters to let them keep their jobs for another eight years.
Appointed by former Governor Phil Bredesen, the justices said they’re fighting out-of-state money and inaccurate portrayals of their work. They’re battling back against what they consider an attempt to introduce partisan politics into the courtroom.
“Partisan politics has no role in courts of law,†Wade said.
“We want to preserve fair and impartial courts,†Lee said. “When you put politics in the courtroom, you push the Constitution out.†[Read more…]
From left to right are Anderson County Veterans Affairs Officer Leon Jaquet, General Sessions Judge Ron Murch, and Assistant Commissioner Don Smith. (Submitted photo)
Judge Ron Murch recently met with Anderson County Veterans Affairs Officer Leon Jaquet and Tennessee Assistant Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Don Smith to discuss the implementation of a Veterans Court/Docket in the Anderson County General Sessions Court. Smith has been visiting judges in East Tennessee to discuss the commencement of veterans courts, a press release said.
The Veterans Court/Docket would operate within the framework of the existing Sessions Court and would identify veterans within the court system, the release said. It would coordinate services available to them through the VA that would assist with drug and alcohol problems, stress problems, and other needs such as housing, education, job training, medical services, or any other services or VA benefits available to them. The Veterans Court/Docket would involve mentors, who are also veterans, that would assist veteran defendants in getting to court and to any scheduled appointments for services, and working with the County Veterans Office to coordinate available benefits. [Read more…]
Submitted
The August 7 ballot for the state primary and local general election will be an important and complex ballot. You will find three main sections to the ballot.
First will be the state and federal primary, second will be the county general election, and third will be the retention questions for Tennessee Supreme Court judges and appellate court judges.
The first eight offices on the ballot are the contests for the state and federal primary election. They are governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Senate, Tennessee House of Representatives, and state executive committeeman and committeewoman. These eight offices are the ones a person must declare whether they are voting in the Democratic or Republican primary.
After these eight offices come the candidates for the Anderson County general election. It does not matter which party primary you selected to vote in, Democrat or Republican, you are now free to vote for the candidate of your choice no matter to which party you belong. The county general election offices are: [Read more…]
Randy McNally
Information from WYSH Radio
Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. Ryan Haynes will introduce legislation that calls for drug testing all Tennessee judges, the two legislators announced Friday.
McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, made the announcement after meeting Thursday with Knox County Prosecutor Leland Price and the families of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom. Christian and Newsom were raped, tortured, and murdered by Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, and Vanessa Coleman seven years ago.
“For a family to have to go through one trial where it involves the torturous murder of their loved one is far too painful for anyone to endure,†McNally said. “But, to have to go through two trials is inconceivable and inexcusable. This legislation addresses this so that no one will have to endure this kind of lengthy and excruciatingly painful court process again due to drug abuse by a judge.†[Read more…]
Dave Clark
Proposals to redistrict Tennessee’s 31 judicial districts may cost Anderson County its full-time judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and their staffs. Proponents want to jumble 15 of Tennessee’s 31 judicial districts containing the state’s 95 counties. The pending proposal would eliminate the 7th Judicial District consisting of Anderson County and combine Anderson, Scott, Union, Campbell, Claiborne, and Fentress counties into a single district. If the move is approved in Nashville, local officials and their offices may be relocated, and many other programs may be terminated.
Currently, Anderson County has a single circuit judge, chancellor, district attorney general, and public defender. All of these offices are located in the county seat in Clinton on a full-time basis. The other counties that are part of the proposed new super-district are headquartered in Scott County in the city of Huntsville, Tenn. It is unclear if redistricting would result in all of Anderson’s current officials relocating to Huntsville. However, what is clear is that under the proposal, Anderson County officials would have duties in other counties, some of them an hour or more away, such as Jamestown, the county seat of Fentress County, located on the Cumberland Plateau bordering Kentucky.
Information from WYSH Radio
Janelle Arthur of Oliver Springs had another strong performance on Tuesday night’s edition of “American Idol.â€
Arthur, one of the last 10 women remaining in the competition, impressed the judges with what they call her “traditional country voice†and prompted Mariah Carey to label her “America’s Sweetheart.â€
