Five Applicants To Be Considered For Tennessee’s Upcoming Supreme Court Vacancy
Photo: Tennessee Supreme Court (East) – Knoxville Photo Credit: Brent Moore / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Five candidates have applied to fill the Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy that will be created by the retirement of Justice Sharon Lee. Lee will finish out 19 years of serving in the Tennessee Judiciary when her retirement becomes effective on August 31, 2023.
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will meet to consider the candidates on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. This meeting will be open to the public. A vote of the Council will take place immediately following all of the interviews, and the Council will submit three names to Governor Bill Lee for his final decision.
The new appointee must be a resident of East Tennessee.
The following individuals have applied for the position:
Kristi M. Davis – Knoxville, TN – Currently serves as a judge for the Tennessee Court of Appeals
Tom Greenholtz – Chattanooga, TN – Currently serves as a judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals; Began his career as a law clerk for the Honorable William M. Barker, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice; Served as an adjunct law professor for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
John C. Rambo – Jonesborough, TN – Current Chancellor of the First Judicial District; Worked 19 years in law practice prior to serving as Chancellor
Michael Richardson – Chattanooga, TN – Has served as a trial attorney for over 40 years; current trial attorney for Richardson Law Firm in Chattanooga, working primarily in professional negligence cases
Dwight E. Tarwater – Knoxville, TN – Previously served as the General Counsel to former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam; Currently working as a partner at Paine, Tarwater, and Bickers Law Firm in Chattanooga
The Tennessee Supreme Court is made up of five Justices who consider appeals brought from lower courts. All Justices are appointed by the Governor and must undergo a retention vote every eight years.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
