Nominating Commission Selects Two Panels for Upcoming Court of Appeals Middle Vacancy

The Judicial Nominating Commission met on June 28, 2013 in Nashville, Tenn., to hold a public hearing and conduct interviews of candidates for the upcoming Court of Appeals vacancy in the Middle Grand Division.

After interviewing the 10 candidates and conducting several rounds of voting, the commission has submitted the following two panels of nominees to Gov. Bill Haslam for the upcoming vacancy created by Judge Patricia Cottrell's notification that she does not plan to seek retention in the 2014 election.

Panel A:

Robert Lee Holloway, Jr
Circuit Court Judge
22nd Judicial District
Columbia, Tennessee

William Neal McBrayer
Attorney Member
Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC
Nashville, Tennessee

Forrest Shoaf
Investor
Lebanon, Tennessee

Panel B:

Christina Henley Duncan
Partner
Rogers, Duncan & North
Manchester, Tennessee

Linda W. Knight
Member
Gullett, Sanford, Robinson & Martin, PLLC
Nashville, Tennessee

Kathryn Ann Stephenson
Assistant General Counsel
Corrections Corporation of America
Nashville, Tennessee

With appeals court openings, the governor has the option to reject the first panel of names and request a second panel from the JNC. Because of the time constraints in the current situation, the commission has submitted both panels.