Trial-court judge in Tennessee criminal court: presides over felony cases — indictments, pretrial motions, jury trials, sentencing under TCA Title 40.
Judicial temperament: the willingness to listen, deliberate, and apply the law dispassionately to people whose lives are deeply affected by the outcome.
Impartiality and ethics under the Tennessee Rules of Judicial Conduct, including disqualification when conflicts arise.
Working knowledge of the substantive and procedural law applied in the assigned court (cited per court below) and the published precedent that controls.
Docket management — moving cases efficiently while honoring due process and the time pressures that fall on litigants and witnesses.
Clear written and oral explanation of rulings, so the parties and the public can follow the reasoning.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Special election to fill the unexpired term resulting from Judge Chris Craft's resignation on 2026-06-11. The winner serves the remainder of the original term ending 2030-09-01.