Tennessee Judge Targeted For Removal Announces Her Retirement
Photo: Judge Donna Scott Davenport Photo Credit: RutherfordCountyTN.gov
The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –
A Tennessee juvenile court judge who is the subject of a legislative resolution seeking her removal over her history of sentencing has announced she will not seek reelection when her term ends this year.
“After prayerful thought and talking with my family, I have decided not to run for re-election after serving more than 22 years on the bench,” Rutherford County Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport said in a statement.
“I will always look back at my time as judge as one of the greatest honors of my life and I am so proud of what this court has accomplished in the last two decades and how it has positively affected the lives of young people and families in Rutherford County. I wish my successor the best and hope that this job provides them the same fulfillment it has provided me over the years.”
Davenport is the subject of Senate Joint Resolution 788, sponsored by Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville.
Campbell said Davenport has a record of incarcerating 48% of juveniles who appear before her, far more than the 5% statewide average. Davenport also was the subject of a recent lawsuit in which the plaintiffs won a $6 million finding against her for illegally arresting and jailing juveniles.
“She has a staggering history of jailing children, and, in most instances, African American children,” Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville, said. “We have seen the rate of locking up juveniles going down in every state and in Tennessee – with the exception of Rutherford County. Again, it’s time for us to take action and have this judge removed.”
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Davenport was appointed to the judge role in 1999, elected in 2000 and reelected in 2006 and 2014 to eight-year terms. She was the first female judge to serve in Rutherford County, according to a news release announcing her retirement and was the county’s only juvenile judge.
About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.
What’s wrong with incarcerating kids who commit crimes? Why aren’t we holding them accountable for their actions? Kids must learn that actions, good and bad, have consequences. This is one area that as a society we are screwing up majorly.
David. So true. But in todays communist society wrong is right and right is wrong. This country is so gone to the toilet. we as a country are on the last swerl till we are gone from the toilet
Well the communist win again, Now we have a great judge retire instead of having people defend her. This is how communist get their way. Now watch the next judge be a democommie and let all the criminals loose to commit crimes again and maybe kill someone.
Race card being pulled once again. A crime committed is just that, nothing to do with skin color.