Judge John Everett Williams, of Huntingdon, received the Distinguished Criminal Justice Alumni Award from the University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Behavioral Sciences during a luncheon Sept. 29. Williams is the first person to receive this honor.
The award, sponsored by the UT Martin chapter of the national criminal justice honor society Alpha Phi Sigma, is designed to recognize those alumni who demonstrate leadership in the criminal justice field, professional excellence in their careers and outstanding support of the UT Martin Criminal Justice Program.
Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UT Martin and a law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. He began working in private practice in Huntingdon in 1981 and continued until he was appointed to serve on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in 1998.
“Judge Williams is very student-focused and is especially interested in meeting and working with students. He has opened his door and courtroom to students wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the court,” said Dr. Donna Massey, professor of criminal justice. “He made time in his busy schedule to speak to my American Death Penalty class last spring and provided an internship for one of our criminal justice students this past summer. We are very lucky that Judge Williams is so supportive of our program and university.”
