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Joe Ozment
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Joseph Scott Ozment is a candidate for Shelby County Criminal Court Judge, Division VIII (30th Judicial District), in the nonpartisan unexpired-term election on August 6, 2026 1. The seat is open because longtime Division VIII judge Chris Craft, who has served since 1994, is retiring; a Daily Memphian report counted eight candidates certified for the race 2.
Career
Ozment has practiced law in Memphis for more than 30 years, since earning his J.D. from the University of Memphis's Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1992 3. His practice focuses on criminal defense, family law, and bankruptcy 1. He is Rule 13-qualified under the Tennessee Supreme Court's rules to represent defendants in capital cases and has tried cases in state and federal court, with appeals before the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals 13. He is a past president of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Memphis Bar Association's Criminal Law Section, and the Shelby County Drug Court Foundation 1. In 1996 he received the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers' Robert W. Richie Award, and in 2013 the organization's Work Horse Award 3.
Office history
This is not Ozment's first campaign for the Criminal Court bench. He ran for Division II in the August 4, 2022 general election and was defeated by Jennifer Fitzgerald in a five-candidate field 4. He also filed for a special election for Division IX in 2024, but that election was cancelled after the legislature eliminated the position before the vote 5.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
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State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Ozment”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Ozment”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Ozment”and, if needed, select the applicable position.