Circuit Court Judge Don Ash of the 16th Judicial District has been elected to a second term as presiding judge of the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary. The 15-member panel receives complaints against judges and imposes sanctions for violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Janice M. Holder congratulated Ash on his reelection and thanked him for his service.
“I admire Judge Ash and other members of the Court of the Judiciary for contributing their time and expertise to provide this resource for all Tennesseans who use the judicial system,” the chief justice said. “The Court of the Judiciary provides the oversight to help ensure that all who enter our courthouses are treated fairly and with respect.”
Ash, whose judicial district includes Rutherford and Cannon counties, said he is “truly honored that the members of the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary continue to have faith in my work as presiding judge.”
“It is a difficult job, especially with my continuing responsibilities to the 16th Judicial District, but I have found it to be both challenging and rewarding,” he said.
Ash, of Murfreesboro, has been a Circuit Court judge since 1994. He previously served as city judge in LaVergne and was in the private practice of law. His a past-president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, which includes all of the state’s appellate, trial and senior judges, and has been a member of the Court of the Judiciary since his 2003 appointment by the Tennessee Supreme Court.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1980 from Memphis State School of Law. In 2000, he became the first Tennessee judge to obtain a Masters Degree in Judicial Studies from the University of Nevada in Reno.
He is married to Rita Ash and has four children.