New Judicial Selection Rules Signed Into Law, First Committee Named

A new protocol for naming the body that nominates the state’s appellate judges was signed into law Thursday. And the first Judicial Nominating Committee was appointed by the speakers of the House and Senate.

The new law requires at least four of the commission’s 17 members come from each of the state’s grand divisions.

At the bill signing, Senate sponsor Jamie Woodson said the new rules get more people involved in the nomination process.

“We were very pleased with the increased openness and accessibility in this process, the new faces that will be afforded the opportunity to participate in our selection of judges, and the people’s opportunity to participate in their election.”

One change made to the judicial selection process is that five committee members don’t have to be attorneys. However, House Speaker Kent Williams nominated just one college professor. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey appointed one businessman. The new law also requires a joint appointment that’s not a lawyer. The two Republican speakers landed on victim advocate Verna Wyatt of Nashville.

WEB EXTRA:

Here is a list of the 17 members appointed to Tennessee’s new
Judicial Nominating Commission:

Appointments by Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville:
– Miles Burdine, 51, president and CEO of Kingsport Chamber of
Commerce.
– Christopher Campbell, 37, attorney in private practice,
Memphis.
– Chris Clem, 40, attorney in private practice in Chattanooga.
– William Jenkins Jr., 43, attorney in private practice in
Dyersburg.
– Thomas Lawless, 56, attorney in private practice, Nashville.
– Theresa Lee, 56, vice president and chief legal officer for
Eastman Chemical Corp. in Kingsport.
– Jack Lowery, 39, attorney in private practice in Lebanon.
– Bill Young, 52, general counsel with BlueCross BlueShield of
Tennessee in Chattanooga.

Appointments by House Speaker Kent Williams, R-Elizabethton:
– David Bautista, 70, professor at East Tennessee State
University in Johnson City.
– Mary Helen Beard, 34, attorney at FedEx Corp. in Memphis.
– Ana L. Escobar, 38, attorney in private practice in Nashville.
– Russell Johnson, 44, district attorney general for the 9th
Judicial District, Loudon.
– Edward L. Martindale Jr., 51, attorney in private practice,
Jackson.
– William Scott Sims, 39, attorney in private practice,
Nashville.
– Denise Terry Stapleton, 50, attorney in private practice,
Morristown.
– C. Barry Ward, 60, attorney in private practice, Memphis.

Joint appointment by Ramsey and Williams:
– Verna Wyatt, 57, crime victims advocate with You Have the
Power Inc., Nashville.