Former Chief Justice Barker was honored at a portrait unveiling ceremony Wednesday at the Hamilton County Courthouse in Chattanooga. Barker, a native of Chattanooga, retired from the Tennessee Supreme Court in September 2008 after a judicial career spanning 25 years.
The portrait of Barker, which was commissioned by Ned Bittinger, will hang permanently in the Hamilton County Courthouse.
Barker began his judicial career in 1983 with an appointment to the circuit court in the 11th Judicial District. He was elected to the position in 1984 and again in 1990. In 1995, Gov. Don Sundquist appointed Barker to the state Court of Criminal Appeals. The following year, he was elected to an eight-year term. Barker was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1998 and was elected to a full eight-year term the same year and again in 2006. His colleagues on the court unanimously elected him chief justice in 2005.