← Back to Shelby County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06
Contest for Bartlett Municipal Judge Division 1
Municipality
Bartlett
general - Non-partisan - Bartlett Municipal Judge Div 1
About this office
The Bartlett Municipal Court Judge presides over cases involving violations of City of Bartlett ordinances and has concurrent jurisdiction with the county's General Sessions Court over state-law misdemeanors that occur within Bartlett. The judge must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee and must have been a resident of the court's jurisdiction for at least one year and of the state for at least five. The position is elected to eight-year terms.
Term length: 2 years.
This role calls for
- Municipal-court judge: hears violations of city ordinances (traffic, code, animal-control, etc.) and, in some Tennessee cities, limited civil and small-claims jurisdiction by charter or interlocal agreement.
- Judicial temperament: the willingness to listen, deliberate, and apply the law dispassionately to people whose lives are deeply affected by the outcome.
- Impartiality and ethics under the Tennessee Rules of Judicial Conduct, including disqualification when conflicts arise.
- Working knowledge of the substantive and procedural law applied in the assigned court (cited per court below) and the published precedent that controls.
- Docket management — moving cases efficiently while honoring due process and the time pressures that fall on litigants and witnesses.
- Clear written and oral explanation of rulings, so the parties and the public can follow the reasoning.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Tim Francavilla
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Francavilla holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis and possesses over twenty-five years of litigation experience in criminal defense, civil matters, and family law. This background provides direct exposure to substantive legal frameworks and procedural rules relevant to municipal court proceedings. His practice emphasizes active listening and structured representation, suggesting an approach aligned with judicial temperament and clear communication of rulings. He has received recognition for legal knowledge through awards and lectures.