{"biography":"## Office\n\nBill Anderson Jr. served as the judge presiding over Division 7 of the Shelby County General Sessions Court in Tennessee from September 1, 2010 through March 1, 2025. In the general election held on August 4, 2022, Anderson sought re-election and won, securing another term before his retirement.\n\n## Education\n\nMemphis State University \u2014 BA in Criminal Justice\n\nMemphis State University \u2014 JD\n\n## Retirement (March 2025)\n\nJudge Anderson submitted his retirement letter to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris in early 2025, with his last day on the bench set for **March 1, 2025**, ending a 14-year career as a Shelby County General Sessions Court judge ([Fox13 Memphis](https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/shelby-county-judge-bill-anderson-frequently-criticized-for-use-of-ror-to-retire/article_42a6fef8-c92d-11ef-93f9-2b06e9e837b9.html), [WREG](https://wreg.com/news/local/shelby-county-judge-retires-following-local-state-complaints/)). In his letter, Anderson wrote: \"At the age of seventy-one, my work is done.\"\n\nThe retirement followed sustained public criticism over his use of release-on-own-recognizance (ROR) bonds, and complaints filed with the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct by Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor. Senator Taylor publicly responded to the retirement announcement, writing that he was \"pleased about Judge Anderson's decision to retire March 1 following my complaints to the Board of Judicial Conduct.\"\n\nThe Shelby County Commission appointed **Taylor E. Bachelor**, a former Shelby County Assistant District Attorney, to fill the seat on February 24, 2025 ([Action News 5](https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/02/24/shelby-co-commissioners-appoint-taylor-bachelor-as-criminal-court-judge-bill-anderson/), [Fox13 Memphis](https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/shelby-county-commissioners-nominate-replacement-for-judge-bill-anderson/article_6ad9bd6c-f302-11ef-a5e3-1f4b6a39535c.html)).\n\n## Controversies\n\n### Reprimand\n\nJudge Anderson was reprimanded by the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct on two occasions. One reprimand stated that he \"publicly expressed animosity\" toward the law governing the bail system while at a Shelby County Commission meeting, and quoted Anderson as saying \"bail bond companies don't do anything except collect money from poor people\" and \"I detest the bail bond system in Shelby County. I detest it across the state.\" ([Local Memphis](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/local/shelby-county-judge-reprimanded-for-behavior-by-board-of-conduct/522-2100ecd8-ca78-47b9-b3fe-62a6a766b490))\n\n### Shooting suspect released without bond\n\nJudge Anderson released a shooting suspect without bond despite objections by District Attorney Steve Mulroy ([Action News 5](https://www.actionnews5.com/video/2024/08/27/district-attorney-releases-statement-after-railgarten-shooting-suspect-released-without-bond/)). He faced other public complaints about his decisions to release defendants without bail ([WREG](https://wreg.com/news/local/commissioner-calls-for-shelby-co-judge-to-resign-over-release-of-defendants/)).\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Bill_Anderson_Jr._(Tennessee))\n- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-anderson-39748930/)\n","campaigns":[],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Bill","fullname":"Bill Anderson ","lastname":"","middlename":"Anderson","office_history":[{"campaigns":[],"county":"shelby","cycles":[{"general":null,"party":null,"primary":null,"term":{"county":"shelby","electiondate":"2022-08-04","office_county":"shelby","office_key":"general_sessions_criminal_court_judge_div_7","office_title":"General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div 7","party":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2025-03-01","term_start":"2022-09-01"},"year":2022}],"office_key":"general_sessions_criminal_court_judge_div_7","office_title":"General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div 7","state":"TN","terms":[{"county":"shelby","electiondate":"2022-08-04","office_county":"shelby","office_key":"general_sessions_criminal_court_judge_div_7","office_title":"General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div 7","party":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2025-03-01","term_start":"2022-09-01"}]}],"summary":"Bill Anderson Jr. is currently serving as the judge presiding over Division 7 of the Shelby County General Sessions Court in Tennessee. He has held this position since September 1, 2010, and was re-elected in the general election held on August 4, 2022. Anderson's current term is set to conclude on September 1, 2030. There is no information available about his education, work history, community involvement, or previous campaigns.","terms":[{"county":"shelby","electiondate":"2022-08-04","office":"general_sessions_criminal_court_judge_div_7","state":"TN","term_end":"2025-03-01","term_start":"2022-09-01","title":"General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div 7"}],"token":"F9jjly4JVJ"}