Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals judges are (seated from left) Jerry Smith, David H. Welles, Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton, David G. Hayes, Thomas T. Woodall, (standing from left) D. Kelly Thomas, Jr. Robert W. Wedemeyer, Norma McGee Ogle, James Curwood Witt Jr., John Everett Williams, Alan E. Glenn and J.C. McLin.
The Court of Criminal Appeals was created by the legislature in 1967 to hear trial court appeals in felony and misdemeanor cases, as well as post-conviction petitions. The Tennessee General Assembly increased the membership of the court from nine to 12 on Sept. 1, 1996. The members sit monthly in panels of three in Jackson, Knoxville and Nashville. They may also meet in other places as necessary.
All Court of Criminal Appeals decisions may be appealed to the state Supreme Court by permission, except in capital cases, which are appealed automatically. No witnesses, juries or testimonies are present in the Court of Criminal Appeals. Instead, attorneys present oral and written arguments.
Court of Criminal Appeals judges serve eight-year terms. If a vacancy occurs on the court, the Judicial Selection Commission recommends three candidates to the governor, who then appoints a new judge to serve until the next August general election. Judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals may run for reelection without opposition. Incumbent judges are retained or rejected on a “yes-no” vote.
Born October 3, 1942, Chicago, IL. Married; one child; Montgomery Bell Academy; B.A., 1965, J.D., 1968, Vanderbilt University; law clerk, U.S. District Judge, Memphis; assistant U.S. attorney, 1970-71; assistant district attorney general, 1971-82; private practice, Memphis, 1982-99; instructor, Trial Advocacy, Harvard Law School, 1986-1999; lecturer, National College of District Attorneys, 1982-86; arbitrator, American Arbitration Association, 1985-99; member, Board of Construction Advisors, American Arbitration Association, 1995-99; president, National Ornamental Metal Museum, 1996-2005; president, Memphis Arts in the Park Festival, 1997-98; vice president, Theatre Memphis, 1995-97; appointed to Court of Criminal Appeals April 1999; elected in 2000 and again in 2006.
Born July 10, 1947, in Trenton, Tennessee. Married with three children. Ordained minister. Graduate of Rosenwald High School, Trenton, Tennessee; A.A., Owen College, Memphis, TN, 1968; B.S., Lane College, Jackson, TN, 1969; M.S. Ed., University of Tennessee, Martin, TN, 1971; J.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, December 1974; National College of District Attorneys, Houston, Texas, 1979; The National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada, 2001; Group Facilitator, The National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada, 2004 . Admitted to the Tennessee Bar May 1975. Memphis Area Legal Services, 1975; Assistant District Attorney, 30th Judicial District, 1975-90; private practice 1990-99; Criminal Court Judge, Thirtieth Judicial District of Tennessee, 2000-04; appointed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, Western Division, September 2004; elected to 8-year term, August 2006. Member, Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association; Tennessee Judicial Conference; Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association; and Lane College Board of Trustees. Founder, Information Assistance and Monitoring (I.A.M.) Program; board member, City of Memphis Second Chance Program.
Born November 11, 1953, Milan, TN; one son; Methodist; graduate Huntingdon High School; B.S., (criminal justice) University of Tennessee at Martin; J.D., Cumberland School of Law, 1981; private practice, Williams & Williams Attorneys at Law, Huntingdon, TN 1981-98; member, Tennessee Bar Association, Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association; Carroll County Bar Association past president 1981-84; Huntingdon Jaycees’ Outstanding Chairperson; Huntingdon Lion’s Club past president 1991-92; American Heart Association; American Cancer Society; American Red Cross; Carroll County Habitat for Humanity, Carroll County Ducks Unlimited; Cumberland School of Law’s cochairman Cordell Hull’s Speakers’ Forum and Director of Special Programs; appointed to Court of Criminal Appeals November 1998; elected to 8-year term August 2006.
Born February 23, 1971, Memphis, TN. Married, two children; African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.); graduate of John Overton High School, Nashville, TN, 1989; B.S. in Political Science, Austin Peay State University, 1993 (magna cum laude, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Honors Scholarships); J.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville 1996 (Dean's List, McClure International Fellowship, Order of the Barristers, Ray Jenkins Trial Semi-Finalist); admitted to Bar in 1997; law clerk to Honorable Joe G. Riley, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, 1996-97; Shelby County District Attorney General's Office, Assistant District Attorney General, 1997-2001; United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Assistant United States Attorney, 2001-2008; Tennessee, Memphis, and National Bar Association member; appointed to Court of Appeals in 2008 by Governor Phil Bredesen (first African American woman to serve on Court of Criminal Appeals).
Born, December 9, 1953, Etowah, TN; Episcopal; graduate of McMinn Central High, 1971; B.A., University of Tennessee, 1975; J.D., University of Tennessee College of Law, 1978; private practice 1978-80; assistant attorney general, 1980-84; deputy attorney general, 1984-95; member of Tennessee Judicial Conference, Tennessee Bar Association, Nashville Bar Association; Attorney General’s designee to the Tennessee Sentencing Commission, 1986-89; served on the Sixth Circuit Task Force on Capital Cases, 1987; president of the National Association of Extradition Officials, 1985-86; appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals November 1995; elected 1996; reelected to eight-year term August 1998 and 2006.
Born May 23, 1951, Nashville, TN. Married to Patricia Wedemeyer, professional harpist; three children, two step-children,one grandchild; Oak Ridge High School; B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1973; J.D., University of Memphis School of Law, 1976; private practice, Cunningham, Mitchell, Hicks & Wedemeyer, 1977-84, Wedemeyer & Grimes, 1985-90. Appointed to circuit court for the 19th judicial district (Montgomery and Robertson counties) by Governor Ned R. McWherter, 1990. Elected in 1990 and reelected in 1998. Appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals by Governor Don Sundquist in 2000; elected in 2000,re-elected in 2006. Member of Criminal Jury Instructions Committee of Tennessee Judicial Conference 1992-98. Current member of Bench/Bar relations committee of Tennessee Judicial Conference. Former Little League Baseball Coach, Youth Soccer Coach, YMCA Basketball Coach.Past president of Montgomery County Chapter of American Red Cross. Member of Montgomery County Bar Association (president-1981). Member of Robertson County Bar Association. Graduate of Leadership Clarksville, 1988.
Born July 10, 1948, Memphis, TN. Married; two children; Methodist; graduate of Dresden High School, 1966; B.S., University of Tennessee at Martin, 1971; J.D., University of Tennessee College of Law, 1974; Order of the Coif; practiced law in Dresden, 1974-87; part-time assistant district attorney general, 1976- 87; chief clerk of the Tennessee House of Representatives, 1977-82; legal counsel to Governor Ned McWherter, 1987-94; Weakley County Bar Association, 1974-87; fellow, Nashville Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, American Bar Association; lieutenant colonel (retired), Tennessee Army National Guard; member, Tennessee Court of the Judiciary; served as member of Supreme Court Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness; appointed to Court of Criminal Appeals February 1994; elected to unexpired term August 1994; elected to eight-year term August 1998 and again in August 2006.
Born 1955, Nashville, Tennessee; married; two children; Presbyterian; Graduate of Battle Ground Academy. B.S., Tennessee Tech; J.D., University of Memphis; admitted to practice law in Tennessee, 1981; member of Tennessee and Dickson County Bar Associations; Tennessee Judicial Conference; First Presbyterian Church of Dickson; “City of Dickson 100 Years Celebration” Committee in 1999; Co-Chair, Dickson County American Cancer Society Relay for Life Event in 2005; former Chairman, Benton County, Tennessee, Unit of American Heart Association; former member of Board of Directors of Dickson County Habitat for Humanity, Inc. and Board of Directors of Dickson Help Center; law clerk for the Honorable Mark Walker, Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, 1981-82, private practice of law, Shelby County, Tennessee, 1982-84; Assistant District Attorney General, 24th Judicial District, Huntingdon, Tennessee, 1984-90; private practice of law, Dickson, Tennessee, 1990 - November 1996; appointed to Court of Criminal Appeals, December 1996; elected to 8-year term August 1998; elected to 8-year term August 2006
Born September 9, 1952, Lawrenceburg, TN. Married; one child; Methodist; B.S. University of Tennessee 1974; J.D. University of Tennessee, College of Law 1977; admitted to practice Law in Tennessee 1977; member of Tennessee Bar Association, Sevier County Bar Association; Knox County Bar Association; Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Commissioner and Chairperson 1995-1998; State of Tennessee Local Planning Advisory Board Member, 1997-1998; Member Board of Directors, Boys and Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains, 1995 to 2000; Sevier County Board of Education Member and Chairperson 1982-1994; Member Board of Directors Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center, 1982-1994; Member Board of Directors, Sevier County Chapter of American Heart Association 1991-1994; Advisory Board Member, Walter State Community College 1997- present; Pigeon Forge City Attorney 1990-1998; Member Leadership Sevier Class of 1998; Memphis Area Legal Services 1977-79; Introduction Knoxville 2000; Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont Board 2000 to present; private practice of law in Sevierville; 1979-1998. Appointed to Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals 1998, re-elected to Court of Criminal Appeals, 2000.
Born March 9, 1947, Birmingham, AL. Married; two children; Episcopal; graduate of Webb School of Knoxville, Distinguished Alumni award 2006; B.S., University of Tennessee Knoxville, 1969; J.D., University of Tennessee College of Law, 1971; Order of the Coif; Phi Kappa Phi Honor Fraternity; past president of Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; first recipient of TACDL ’s Outstanding Service Award; member of Tennessee Bar Association; former delegate to TBA House of Delegates; member Knoxville Bar Association; recipient of the 2006 KBA Dicta Award for outstanding writing; member of Tennessee Judicial Conference; former adjunct professor, UT College of Law, 1983-92; assistant member of Tennessee Board of Law Examiners, 1981-96; member of the Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court; appointed to Court of Criminal Appeals September 1990; elected August 1992; reelected to eight-year term August 1998; reelected to eight-year term August 2006; presiding judge of the Court as of September 2006.
Born October 23, 1948, Knoxville, TN. Married; four children; Methodist; graduate of Madisonville High School, 1966; associate degree, Hiwassee College, 1968; bachelor’s degree, Tennessee Wesleyan College, 1970; J.D., University of Tennessee College of Law, 1973; Order of the Coif; Tennessee Law Review; admitted to practice law in Tennessee, 1970; member of Tennessee and Monroe Country Bar Associations; president, Monroe County Bar Association, 1977; judge, Monroe County Juvenile Court, 1979-82; Tennessee Council of Juvenile Court Judges, 1979-82; Hearing Committee member, Board of Professional Responsibility, 1986-92; member of Tennessee Judicial Council, 1980-88; chairman, board of trustees, Emory & Henry College, Tennessee Wesleyan College and Hiwassee College, 1987-90; member, Holston Conference (United Methodist Church) Board of Trustees, 1995; president, Boys & Girls Club of the Monroe Area, TN, Inc., 1996; presenter, Phi Theta Kappa, Tennessee Regional Honors Institute, 1995; member Tennessee Bar Foundation; adjunct professor of law, U.T. College of Law; faculty, Tennessee Judicial Academy; appointed to Court of Criminal Appeals January 1997; elected to eight-year term August 1998 and 2006.
Born February 17, 1952. Maryville, Tennessee; married; graduate of Maryville High School; B.A. University of Tennessee, 1974; J.D. University of Tennessee, 1977; admitted to Tennessee Bar in 1978; partner in Thomas & Thomas 1978-1987; associate Thomas & Cummingham 1987-1990; elected Circuit Court Judge, Fifth Judicial District, Division II, 1990; re-elected 1998 and 2006; appointed Criminal Court of Appeals Judge, Eastern Section, 2006; past president Blount County Bar Association; Faculty member of The National Judicial College, University of Nevada, Reno, 1994-99; East Tennessee Representative, State-Federal Judicial County Board of Directors, 1992; President Tennessee Trial Judges Association, 1996-98; Tennessee Judicial Conference Executive Committee, 1995-96; Ethics Instructor at Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference, Tennessee Court Clerks Association Conference, Tennessee Juvenile Association Conference, 1996, 97 and 2000; East Tennessee Director Tennessee Judicial Conference Executive Committee appointed in 2002; president elect Tennessee Judicial Conference 2007; former member foster Care Review Board; founding Board of Directors, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Blount County; Chairman Boys and Girls Club of Blount County Board of Directors; Founding Board of Directors of Blount United Community Credit Union.