Tennessee Supreme Court justice vacancy (August 2023)
| Tennessee Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Lee vacancy |
| Date: August 31, 2023 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Dwight Tarwater |
| Date: February 2, 2023 |
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) nominated attorney Dwight Tarwater to the Tennessee Supreme Court on February 2, 2023. The Tennessee State Senate confirmed Tarwater on March 9, 2023. He assumed office on September 1, 2023.[1][2]
Tarwater replaced Justice Sharon Lee, who retired on August 31, 2023. Tarwater was Governor Lee's (R) second nominee to the five-member supreme court.[3][2]
At the time of the vacancy under Tennessee law, supreme court justices were selected through assisted appointment. The governor made the initial judicial appointments that were then confirmed by the Tennessee State Legislature. Justices would face retention elections at the end of their terms.
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- A list of finalists recommended to the governor.
- A list of candidates who applied to the vacancy.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2023.
Full term
2024
See also: Tennessee Supreme Court elections, 2024
Tennessee Supreme Court Eastern Section
Dwight Tarwater was retained to the Tennessee Supreme Court Eastern Section on August 1, 2024 with 72.9% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
72.9
|
390,549 | ||
No |
27.1
|
145,508 | |||
Total Votes |
536,057 | ||||
|
|
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Tarwater in this election.
Partial term
The appointee
- See also: Dwight Tarwater
Dwight Tarwater received a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee in 1977 and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1980. He founded the law firm Paine, Tarwater, Bickers, LLP in 1987. From 2014 to 2019, Tarwater served as General Counsel for Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (R).[4]
Appointee candidates and nominations
Finalists
The Tennessee Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments recommended three finalists to Gov. Lee (R):[5]
- Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Kristi Davis
- Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Tom Greenholtz
- Attorney Dwight Tarwater
Applicants
Five candidates applied to fill the vacancy:[6]
- Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Kristi Davis
- Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Tom Greenholtz
- First Judicial District Chancellor John C. Rambo
- Attorney Michael Richardson
- Attorney Dwight Tarwater
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Tennessee
In Tennessee, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the governor. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
Tennessee Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments
The Tennessee Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments is an independent state commission in Tennessee that plays a role in the state's judicial selection process.[7] Gov. Bill Haslam (R) established the Council in a 2016 executive order. The Council consists of 11 members appointed by the governor.
Makeup of the court
- See also: Tennessee Supreme Court
Justices
Following Lee’s retirement, the Tennessee Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Jeff Bivins | Appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam (R) in 2014 | |
| ■ Sarah Campbell | Appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (R) in 2022 | |
| ■ Holly Kirby | Appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam (R) in 2013 | |
| ■ Roger A. Page | Appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam (R) in 2016 |
About the court
Founded in 1870, the Tennessee Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has five judgeships. The current chief of the court is Holly Kirby. In 2018, the court decided 1,003 cases.
As of September 2024, five judges on the court were appointed by a Republican governor.
The Tennessee Supreme Court meets in Jackson, Knoxville, and Nashville, Tennessee.[8]
In Tennessee, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the governor. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
About Justice Lee
- See also: Sharon Lee
Justice Lee joined the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2009. She was appointed to the court by Governor Phil Bredesen (D).
Before serving on the state supreme court, Lee worked as an attorney in private practice from 1978 to 2004. She also served as an attorney for Monroe County, as a Madisonville city judge, and as a city attorney for the cities of Vonore and Madisonville in Tennessee. She was appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals on June 4, 2004.[9]
Lee received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee in 1975 and her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1978.[9]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2023
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2023
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2023. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2022.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 10 News, "TN lawmakers confirm Dwight Tarwater as next Supreme Court justice," March 9, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Marion County News, "TN Governor sends judicial nominees for legislative approval," February 10, 2023
- ↑ Tennessee State Courts, "Justice Lee Announces August 2023 Retirement," November 15, 2022
- ↑ Paine, Tarwater, Bickers, LLP, "DWIGHT E. TARWATER," accessed March 14, 2023
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Gov. Bill Lee to choose between three for next Tennessee Supreme Court justice," January 4, 2023
- ↑ Tennessee Bar Association, "5 Apply for Upcoming Tennessee Supreme Court Vacancy," December 12, 2022
- ↑ Tennessee State Courts, "GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL FOR JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS," accessed November 17, 2021
- ↑ Tennessee State Courts, "About the Supreme Court," accessed August 20, 2021
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tennessee State Courts, "Justice Sharon G. Lee," accessed December 5, 2022
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Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee
State courts:
Tennessee Supreme Court • Tennessee Court of Appeals • Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals • Tennessee Circuit Court • Tennessee Chancery Courts • Tennessee Criminal Court • Tennessee Probate Court • Tennessee General Sessions Court • Tennessee Juvenile Court • Tennessee Municipal Court
State resources:
Courts in Tennessee • Tennessee judicial elections • Judicial selection in Tennessee
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