Chancellor Arnold Goldin and General Sessions Judges Phyllis Gardner and Gwen Rooks, all of Shelby County, have completed an intensive four-day Judicial Academy conducted Nov. 17-20 by the state Administrative Office of the Courts.
Goldin, Gardner and Rooks were among 14 trial and general sessions judges from across the state who attended the academy in Nashville. Gov. Don Sundquist appointed Goldin last year; Gardner was appointed in 2002 by the Shelby County Commission and was later elected; and Rooks also was elected in 2002.
Courses for judges elected or appointed since the last academy in 2000 included transition from bar to bench; dealing with stress; docket control; civil and criminal jury instruction; how to handle juries; reversals; contempt of court; and judicial writing. They also completed courses on workers compensation; ethics; evidence; criminal law; procedure, search warrants and sentencing; domestic relations; and Supreme Court Rule 13 dealing with the appointment of attorneys for indigent defendants.
Chancellor Steve Stafford of Dyersburg was dean of the academy. Courses were taught by current and former Tennessee judges, including state Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Allen Glenn, Circuit Court Judge Robert Childers and Criminal Court Judge James Beasley, Jr., all of Memphis. Other West Tennessee instructors included Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Joe Riley of Ridgely and Circuit Court Judge Creed McGinley of Savannah.