News
March 17, 2026
Gibson County Safe Baby Court (SBC) held its first graduation ceremony on Friday, March 13, reuniting a mother with her four children.“If I didn't have Safe Baby Court, I wouldn't have my babies back now,” said Stacey, a SBC graduate. “Thanks to all the support from Safe Baby and Recovery, I have a…
March 16, 2026
Retired Henry County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Vicki S. Snyder is the 2026 recipient of the Jim Pryor Award for Child Advocacy. She accepted the award from the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) at their 2026 Children’s Advocacy Days held at Trevecca Nazarene…
November 19, 2025
Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Lonnie Thompson was one of five children born to a single mother in an impoverished neighborhood in South Memphis. He attended Memphis City Schools with no idea he would end up in the legal field. Instead, Judge Thompson dreamed of a future in music.…
September 5, 2025
Not long after taking the bench in Gibson County, General Sessions Court Judge Bradley Owens made a startling observation- many of the defendants before him did not understand the legal consequences of their choices.“I see all of these adults, even with violation of probation, even after they would…
November 20, 2024
Wayne County General Sessions & Juvenile Court Judge James Y. Ross received the Sharon G. Lee Award of Excellence at the 2024 Annual Tennessee Municipal Court Judges Conference.“Thank you, everybody,” said Judge Ross. “I will say it’s always best to have the adulation and praise of your…
November 6, 2024
Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Tori Smith’s quest to become a judge started after watching a popular kids’ television show when she was eight years old.“It’s probably something I should stop saying, but it genuinely was from an episode of Saved by the Bell,” said Judge Smith. “I wish…
October 21, 2024
20th Judicial District General Sessions Court Judge Ana Escobar grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and has called Music City home for the past 51 years.“I went to high school here. I went to Vanderbilt,” said Judge Escobar. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do after I went to Vanderbilt, so I…
October 14, 2024
The Board of Judicial Conduct has issued a Public Reprimand for General Sessions Judge R. Steven Randolph. Read the Board's Public Reprimand here.
September 27, 2024
Shelby County General Sessions Judge Deborah Means Henderson was honored with the Leon Ruben Award for Excellence at the fall Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference (TGSJC) this week.During the award presentation, outgoing conference president Judge James Y. Ross described Judge Means…
March 28, 2024
Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County General Sessions Court Judge Lynda Jones was honored over the weekend with the 2024 WWRN Political Woman Award for her outstanding commitment to business excellence, coupled with the highest standards of ethical conduct, integrity, and civic and social…
February 14, 2024
Shelby County General Sessions Judge Deborah Means Henderson was honored with a Resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Erika Sugarmon, at the February 5 Shelby County Commission Meeting.
Commissioner Sugarmon read the Resolution, which reads: Whereas Judge Henderson is an active member of Delta…
February 8, 2024
The Board of Judicial Conduct issued a public reprimand of Shelby County General Sessions Judge Bill Anderson. Read the reprimand here.
January 19, 2024
The Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference recently sent a letter to Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and members of the Tennessee General Assembly to increase funding for indigent representation in the state. The text of the letter is below…
January 9, 2024
The Board of Judicial Conduct has issued a public reprimand of Rutherford County General Sessions Judge Toby Gilley. Read the reprimand here.
November 9, 2023
On Aug. 20, 1990, while serving in the 101st Airborne Division as an Assault Helicopter pilot, platoon leader and air mission commander, 12th Judicial District General Sessions Court Judge Marshall A. (Mark) Raines, Jr.’s platoon deployed to operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and…
November 6, 2023
Judge James Y. Ross, Wayne County General Sessions & Juvenile Court Judge, was recently elected president of the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference (TGSJC).
“I’ve been on the executive committee for a long time, so I know what I’m getting into,” said Judge Ross.
Outgoing…
April 20, 2023
Joseph Byrd has joined the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts as the lead attorney for the newly created Indigent Services Team. In his new role, Byrd will manage the team that oversees the indigent representation program, which provides court-appointed attorneys in certain types of…
March 30, 2023
General Sessions courts are often referred to as “the court of first resort,” “the people’s court,” or “small claims court.” In Tennessee, General Sessions courts have broad jurisdiction over civil claims and play a key role in almost every criminal prosecution in the state. Join Judges Lee Bussart…
December 8, 2022
The Rutherford & Cannon County Bar Association held a portrait unveiling on December 6 for long-time Rutherford County General Sessions Judge David Loughry. Judge Loughry served the county for 24 years, from 1990-2014.
Several of Judge Loughry’s colleagues attended the ceremony to share in his…
October 21, 2022
As a small child growing up in a fairly impoverished neighborhood in Memphis, Deborah Means Henderson had a startling answer to the question of what she wanted to be when she grew up. “I would tell the grown-ups that I was going to be a lawyer,” Judge Henderson said. She did not know any…