Ray Lepone

Current office and 2026 campaign

Ray Lepone currently serves as a judge for Division 1 of the Shelby County Criminal Court in Tennessee ¹. He was appointed to this unexpired term by Governor Bill Lee in September 2025, filling the seat previously held by Judge Paula Skahan following her retirement ⁴¹⁰. Prior to his judicial appointment, Lepone served as a Deputy District Attorney in Shelby County for more than 25 years, rising through the ranks under former District Attorney Amy Weirich and continuing under District Attorney Steve Mulroy during her first term ⁶⁷.

Lepone is running for election to retain the Division 1 judgeship in 2026 ⁵. He self-describes as a candidate with extensive experience as a prosecutor, judge, and appellate lawyer who earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee ¹¹. The vacancy for which he is seeking election was created by the retirement of Judge Skahan, leading to an initial appointment process that considered multiple applicants for vacancies in the 30th Judicial District ²³.

Background and education

Raymond John Lepone was born in 1956 ¹. He self-describes as a Catholic ¹¹. He attended the University of Memphis for his undergraduate studies and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law ¹¹.

Career

Ray Lepone served as a Deputy District Attorney in Shelby County for more than two decades ⁶. He was appointed to this role by District Attorney General Amy Weirich and sworn in during February 2018 ⁹. Lepone continued his service in the office under subsequent District Attorneys Amy Weirich and Steve Mulroy ⁷.

Prior to his appointment as a judge, Lepone worked as an appellate lawyer ¹¹. He earned his law degree from the University of Memphis ¹¹. In September 2025, Governor Bill Lee appointed Lepone to fill the vacant seat in Division 1 of the Shelby County Criminal Court, which had previously been held by Judge Paula Skahan following her retirement ⁴. Lepone was sworn in as judge later that month ⁷.

Office history

Ray Lepone served as a Deputy District Attorney in Shelby County, a role for which he was appointed by District Attorney General Amy Weirich and sworn in on February 16, 2018 ⁹. He continued in this capacity under District Attorney Steve Mulroy during his first term ⁷.

In September 2025, Governor Bill Lee appointed Lepone to fill the vacancy in Criminal Court Division 1 of Shelby County, a seat previously held by Judge Paula Skahan following her retirement ⁴⁷¹⁰. He was sworn in as judge for this position later that month ⁷.

Lepone is currently running for an unexpired term on the bench of Criminal Court Division 1 ⁵¹¹.

Legislative record and accomplishments

Ray Lepone’s legislative record is not documented in the provided sources, as his career has been focused on prosecutorial and judicial roles rather than elected legislative office. During his tenure as a prosecutor, he served as Deputy District Attorney in Shelby County under District Attorney General Amy Weirich and later under Steve Mulroy ⁷. He was sworn into this position in February 2018 by Judge Jennifer Nichols ⁹.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Lepone did not hold a legislative seat or sponsor bills. In September 2025, Governor Bill Lee appointed him to fill the unexpired term of Criminal Court Division 1, previously held by Judge Paula Skahan following her retirement ⁴¹⁰. He was sworn in as judge that same month, with congratulations extended by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office ⁷⁸.

Lepone is currently seeking election to continue serving on the bench for an unexpired term ¹¹. The outcome of this upcoming election has not yet occurred as of May 2026 ¹².

Sources