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← Back to Shelby County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-05-05

Contest for Juvenile Court Clerk

County Shelby County
primary - Partisan - Juvenile Court Clerk

About this office

The Juvenile Court Clerk handles case records for the Shelby County Juvenile Court, which has jurisdiction over delinquency, dependency/neglect, child-support, and status-offense cases involving minors. The clerk's office screens detained juveniles, coordinates referrals for mental-health and substance-abuse evaluations, and manages records for the court's eight courtrooms at 616 Adams Avenue, Memphis.

Term length: 4 years.

This role calls for

  • Maintains records of the Juvenile Court β€” which handles delinquency, dependency-and-neglect, and child-custody/support matters. Records are partially confidential under state law.
  • Records management for the court served by this clerk's office, in conformity with Tennessee Rules of Civil/Criminal Procedure and the orders of the assigned judges.
  • Working knowledge of the relevant court's docket, fee schedule, and pleading requirements.
  • Financial controls for collecting and disbursing court costs, fines, restitution, bonds, and trust funds β€” with public accountability.
  • Supervision of a clerical staff handling high case volume and frequent statutory deadlines.
  • Administrative reliability β€” the office's filings are legally binding and its records are evidence.

Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.

Campaigns

Democratic Primary 3 candidates
Janeen Gordon

Janeen Gordon

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Gordon currently runs the Juvenile Court Clerk’s Office, supervising over 90 employees and managing high-volume case processing since September 2022. Her tenure involves maintaining confidential records for delinquency and dependency matters while ensuring administrative reliability for legally binding filings. The bio highlights her oversight of staff welfare during the May 2024 building closure due to environmental hazards, reflecting operational management under pressure.
Kenny Lee

Kenny Lee

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Lee’s 2022 school board run demonstrates prior public service experience. His radio hosting role suggests communication skills relevant to public accountability. However, the biography lacks evidence of records management expertise for delinquency or dependency cases. It does not indicate knowledge of Tennessee civil procedure rules or court docket systems. The text provides no details on financial controls for collecting fines, bonds, or trust funds. There is no mention of supervising clerical staff or handling high-volume statutory deadlines. Educational background and specific legal training remain absent from the provided records.
Patriece Minner

Patriece Minner

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Current Juvenile Court Clerk employee in Shelby County, Tennessee, with prior experience at the same court expanding diversion programs and protecting juvenile rights. Holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology focusing on criminal behavior. Affiliated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Partnership of Juvenile Service. Bio does not indicate specific knowledge of Tennessee Rules of Civil/Criminal Procedure, detailed financial controls for court costs or trust funds, supervision experience for clerical staff, or familiarity with the current docket fee schedule and pleading requirements.