Lonnell Matthews

Lonnell Matthews Jr. is a Democratic politician and attorney serving as the Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk in Tennessee [1]. He assumed office in 2018, and his current term is scheduled to end on September 1, 2026 [1]. Matthews is running for re-election in the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026 [1].

Matthews was born in Nashville and grew up in the Bordeaux community [11]. He graduated from Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School for Health Sciences and Engineering in 1997 and later studied accounting and business law at Tennessee State University [1]. His career in youth development began in 2001 at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, where he worked for 14 years before entering elected office [12]. He eventually rose to become the district executive director for the local YMCA Community Action Project/Urban Services Youth Development Center [1]. In addition to his government service, Matthews is the owner of SpreadLuv, an organization dedicated to creating exposure for independent artists through art, music, and live events [1].

Before becoming Juvenile Court Clerk, Matthews served as a member of the Nashville Metro Council representing District 1 from 2007 to 2015 [12]. At age 27, he became the youngest African-American ever elected to the council [1]. During his eight-year tenure, he served as Speaker Pro Tempore and chaired the Budget & Finance, Education, and Parks & Recreation committees [11]. He left the council in 2015 to join Mayor Megan Barry’s administration [12].

Matthews first won election to the Juvenile Court Clerk position in 2018. In the Democratic primary that year, he defeated four other candidates, including Tyese Hunter, receiving 37.7% of the vote (25,145 votes) out of a total of 66,678 votes cast [3]. He won the general election on August 2, 2018, with 99.5% of the vote (77,449 votes) against write-in candidates [3]. He was re-elected in 2022, advancing from the Democratic primary with 99.8% of the vote and winning the general election on August 4, 2022, with 99.5% of the vote (47,498 votes) [1].

As Juvenile Court Clerk, Matthews serves as the keeper of records for the court, processing legal documents, scheduling dockets for the elected judge and appointed magistrates, staffing courtrooms to record proceedings, and collecting state-mandated fees [12]. In this role, he has partnered with Judge Sheila Calloway on community initiatives, including hosting the 9th Annual Spooktacular Halloween Block Party in 2023 [6]. He also hosted the schematic design reveal for the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment (NYCE) project, which includes plans for a new Juvenile Justice Center and assessment facilities [6].

Public records from the Davidson County Criminal Court show that Matthews was charged with felony offenses in 2005, including possession with intent to sell Schedule II substances and evading arrest. The case, filed in December 2005, was disposed of as "Abated By Death" [5]. This disposition is unusual for a living person and may indicate an error in the public record or a different individual with the same name, though no other source clarifies this discrepancy.

Matthews is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association [11]. He has also been involved in local politics beyond his elected offices, discussing violence prevention and the creation of an Office of Youth Safety with Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office [12].

Sources

• [1] Lonnell Matthews Jr. - Ballotpedia
• [2] Lonnell Matthews Jr. - Ballotpedia
• [3] Tyese Hunter - Ballotpedia
• [5] Lonnell Matthews
• [6] News and Court Updates – Juvenile Court of Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County
• [11] Faculty Profile: Lonnell Matthews
• [12] Q&A with Lonnell Matthews | The Contributor