The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed Circuit Court Judge Don Ash of Murfreesboro to the state Court of the Judiciary. The 15-member panel, created by the General Assembly, is charged by state law with receiving complaints against judges and imposing sanctions or recommending removal from office when appropriate.
Ash, immediate past president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, will succeed Circuit Court Judge J.S. “Steve” Daniel, also of Murfreesboro, on the Court of the Judiciary. Daniel will leave the Circuit Court bench to assume senior judge status and also has resigned from the Court of the Judiciary effective Aug. 25.
"I am honored the Tennessee Supreme Court has placed such trust in me by this appointment.” Ash said. “Judge Daniel has served the court system well during his tenure on the Court of the Judiciary and I will do my best to follow his example."
In an order filed Monday, the Supreme Court appointed Ash for the remaining three years of Daniel’s term.
“The court appreciates Judge Ash’s willingness to serve,” Chief Justice Frank F. Drowota, III, said.
Ash has been a Circuit Court judge in Rutherford and Cannon counties - the 16 th Judicial District - since 1994. He previously served as city judge in LaVergne and was in the private practice of law. From 1997-99, he was a member of the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary, which enforces the code of conduct for judges.
He was instrumental in drafting Tennessee = s Parenting Plan, which became state law in 2001. Under the law, divorcing couples with minor children are required to attend parenting classes and work out a detailed parenting plan. The emphasis is on keeping both parents involved in their children = s lives.
Ash 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 was a co-founder and past president of the Boys and Girls Club of Rutherford County. Other civic activities include serving on the Domestic Violence Task Force for Rutherford County and as a trustee for the MTSU Foundation. He also has been active in Rotary Club, United Way, the American Heart Association, Leadership Rutherford, Hospice of Rutherford County, PTA, the Webb School Parent Association, Hope Clinic and MainStreet of Murfreesboro.
He is married to Rita Ash and has four children.