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Hank Sledge
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Hank Sledge is a Republican and a judge of the Loudon County General Sessions Court in Tennessee. He was appointed by the Loudon County Commission by an 8-0 vote on August 3, 2015, for a term that began on September 1, 2015.[1]
The appointment was for a partial term as it occurred outside of the regular eight-year election cycle for Tennessee judges. Sledge won the partial term unopposed on August 4, 2016. He was elected to a six-year term. The seat will be up for a full eight-year term at the next general judicial election in 2022.
Education
Sledge received his J.D. from the University of Tennessee, Memphis.[1]
Career
Before Sledge became a general sessions judge, he was a judicial magistrate. Previously, he worked for the Ninth Judicial District.[1]
Elections
2016
General election
General elections for unexpired local judicial terms and newly created judicial seats in Tennessee were held on August 4, 2016. Incumbent Hank Sledge ran unopposed in the Loudon County General Sessions Court general election.
| Loudon County General Sessions Court, General Election (Unexpired Term), 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Hank Sledge Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 1,854 | |
| Total Votes | 1,854 | |||
| Source: Loudon County Election Commission, "August 4, 2016 State Primary and County General Election," August 4, 2016 | ||||
Primary election
Primary elections for partisan judicial seats in Tennessee were held on March 1, 2016. The top vote recipient in each party's primary advanced to the general election on August 4, 2016. No Democrats filed for any of the local judicial seats up for election in 2016, meaning only Republican primaries were necessary. Independent candidates did not face primary elections. Incumbent Hank Sledge ran unopposed in the Loudon County General Sessions Court Republican primary.
| Loudon County General Sessions Court, Republican Primary (Unexpired Term), 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Hank Sledge Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 6,693 | |
| Total Votes (100) | 6,693 | |||
| Source: WATE 6, "Your Vote 2016 County election results," March 1, 2016 | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
Judges of the general sessions court are elected in nonpartisan elections to eight-year terms. Individual towns or cities may establish varying ordinances for the election of their municipal judges—e.g., ordinances that allow for some positions to be elected by popular vote and some to be selected by other methods.[2][3][4][5]
Qualifications
To serve on the court, a judge must be:[6]
- authorized to practice law in state;
- a district resident for at least one year;
- a state resident five years; and
- at least 30 years old.
2015
Sledge's position was created in 2015 to assist Judge Rex Dale, then the sole general sessions judge in the county. One judge is expected to conduct lengthier trials, while the other can handle the shorter ones. In order to fund the position, the commission approved, by an 8-2 vote, an increase in the litigation tax from $17 to $51. Two commissioners abstained from approving Sledge's appointment; Commissioner Earlena Maples said the tax increase would not be enough to fund the position.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Knoxville News Sentinel, "Loudon County Commission appoints new General Sessions Court judge," August 3, 2015
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived September 11, 2014
- ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "37-1-207 - Special juvenile courts Judges," accessed July 22, 2015
- ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "16-18-203 - Term of office," accessed July 22, 2015
- ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "16-15-202 - Election Term," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee," archived September 11, 2014
