Governor Phil Bredesen today named two appointments to the criminal courts of the 10th and 11th Judicial Districts. Amy Reedy, an assistant public defender in Cleveland, will fill a criminal court position in the 10th Judicial District, serving Polk, Monroe, McMinn and Bradley Counties. Chattanooga attorney Don Poole will fill the criminal court position in the 11th Judicial District, Division III, serving Hamilton County.
"Amy Reedy has proven herself both as a prosecutor and as a criminal defense lawyer," said Bredesen. "I'm confident in the skill and experience she brings to the Criminal Court of the 10th Judicial District and know she will serve those who enter her courtroom with fairness and integrity. Throughout her years practicing law, she has shown a strong dedication to public service and I appreciate her willingness to serve in this important position."
Amy F. Armstrong Reedy was licensed to practice law in the State of Tennessee in 1993. She has served as an assistant public defender since January 2005, and previously served 11 years as an assistant district attorney general for the 10th Judicial District. Prior to entering law school, Reedy interned in the office of United States Senator Jim Sasser before serving as deputy clerk in the Criminal Court of Bradley County.
While attending law school, she worked in the Division of Claims Administration as a claims examiner. In 1985, she worked in the office of United States Representative Marilyn Lloyd.
"I am very appreciative of the confidence that the Governor is bestowing upon me," said Reedy. "I look at this new chapter in my life not as just something I've aspired to be, but as an opportunity to heighten my level of public service to my community."
Reedy, 42, holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Nashville School of Law. She has previously been a member of the McMinn County and Tennessee Bar Associations, the National District Attorneys Association and the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "Bringing more than 40 years of experience to the bench,
Don Poole knows the legal system in Tennessee and is highly respected in his community," said Bredesen.
"With experience working as an attorney in private practice, having worked as a former Hamilton County assistant district attorney and as a former prosecutor for the United States Air Force, I have complete confidence in his abilities. I appreciate that he is willing to serve the State of Tennessee in the 11th Judicial District."
Don Wayne Poole, of Old Hickory, Tenn., was licensed to practice law in the State of Tennessee in 1965. He has worked in private practice at Poole, Thornbury, Morgan and Barrow for 33 years. Prior to that, he served as an assistant district attorney in Hamilton County for three years. From 1965 to 1966, he served as a law clerk for Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Ross Dyer. From 1966 to 1969, he was appointed and served in the United States Air Force as a Judge Advocate General Officer.
"I'm very excited about this opportunity. It's truly a dream come true," said Poole. "I look forward to serving Hamilton County in this new capacity." Poole, 65, holds a bachelor's degree and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. While in law school, he wrote for the Tennessee Law Review. He graduated second in his law class and was selected Order of the Coif upon graduation.
During his legal career, he has been a member of the Chattanooga Bar Association, the Chattanooga Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the American Bar Association, among others. He was inducted a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1998, and inducted a Fellow of the Chattanooga Bar Foundation in 2000. In November 2005, Poole became a mentor for the Criminal Justice Act panel serving the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Reedy will fill a vacancy in the 10th Judicial District Criminal Court made upon the retirement of Judge Robert Steven Bebb. Poole will fill a vacancy in the 11th Judicial District Criminal Court made upon the passing of Judge Stephen Morris Bevil. These appointments are effective immediately, and the appointees will serve the remainder of the existing terms. They will run for a full eight-year term in the August 2006 general election.