Nashville – Governor Phil Bredesen today appointed Dickson County native Andy D. Bennett to fill a position on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Middle Section.
“Andy Bennett has developed extensive experience in his career with the Office of Attorney General, bringing both administrative experience coupled with trial and appellate court experience to this appointment,” said Bredesen. “I’m confident he will serve the Tennessee Court of Appeals with both honor and integrity.”
Bennett joined the Office of Attorney General in 1982 after receiving a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University Law School. He served as an Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General for Legislative Affairs and Associate Chief Deputy before being named Chief Deputy Attorney General in 1997. Bennett received the Marvin Award in 2004 from the National Association of Attorneys General for outstanding leadership, expertise, and achievement in advancing the goals of the organization and was named a Tennessee Bar Foundation Fellow in 2001.
“I am extremely honored to have been chosen by Governor Bredesen to serve the state as a member of the Tennessee Court of Appeals,” said Bennett. “I believe in public service, and that justice should be impartial. I look forward to bringing my experience and beliefs to this position and to have the opportunity to continue my career in public service.”
He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society since 1999 and currently serves as president of the organization. He is a member of the Tennessee Historical Society and the United Methodist Church. Bennett and his wife Sidney Forester Bennett reside in Hermitage and have one son, Adam, who is a student at Watkins College of Art and Design.
Bennett succeeds Justice William C. Koch, Jr., who Bredesen recently named to the Tennessee Supreme Court. He will stand for election in Aug. 2008 and then for election to a full eight-year term in Aug. 2014.