Oak Ridge Today

Public hearing, interviews Friday for appointment of Circuit Court judge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

There will be a public hearing and interview session in Clinton on Friday for the appointment of a judge to fill a vacancy created when Seventh Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Don Elledge retired at the end of June.

The public hearing of the Trial Court Vacancy Commission will start at 9 a.m. Friday, July 16, in the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

The commission is beginning the process of filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Elledge. His term hadn’t expired yet; it will end next year.

WYSH Radio in Clinton has reported that there are five applicants for the judge’s position. Here are the five applicants, according to WYSH Radio:

[Read more…]

Judge Elledge retires

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Don-Elledge-Sept-9-2019
Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge is pictured above on Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Seventh Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Don Elledge retired Wednesday, the end of June, after 16 years on the bench. The Seventh Judicial District is Anderson County. The Circuit Court hears both civil and criminal cases.

Elledge hadn’t aspired to be a judge, but when a vacancy opened up, he was encouraged to apply by others in the community, Tennessee Courts System said in a story about Elledge’s retirement.

“He was successful, and Governor Phil Bredesen appointed him to the bench in September 2005,” the story said. “Judge Elledge did not fully know at the time that he was about to embark on the most rewarding journey of his professional life.”

Since his appointment, Elledge has won election to the circuit court bench twice, in 2006 and in 2014. Stepping down now, a year before his term is up in 2022, was not something that he ever intended to do, Tennessee Courts said.

If it were possible, he would continue in court for another year, even at nearly 72 years old, the story said. However, health issues are forcing him to slow things down a bit and step away from the bench.

[Read more…]