Governor Phil Bredesen today announced that 17th Judicial District Assistant District Attorney General Robert G. Crigler will fill a vacancy in part one of the District's Circuit Court, created by the retirement of William Charles Lee of Lewisburg. The 17th Judicial District Circuit Court covers Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall and Moore counties.
"I am pleased to appoint Robert Crigler to the 17th Judicial District Circuit Court," Bredesen said. "Robert has been a highly respected member of the legal community of Bedford and its surrounding counties for more than twenty years. As an assistant district attorney general in the 17th Judicial District, I am confident Robert has the experience, the skill and the knowledge of the legal system to serve well on the Circuit Court bench. I certainly appreciate his service to the State of Tennessee."
Crigler, a Bedford County native, has been practicing law for 24 years. He has been working as an Assistant District Attorney General in the 17th Judicial District since 1988. Prior to that, Crigler worked in private practice in Shelbyville from 1981 to 1988, working mostly in civil, criminal and domestic relations law.
"I appreciate the confidence Governor Bredesen has placed in me by appointing me judge, and I promise to serve the citizens of our judicial district to the best of my ability," said Crigler.
Crigler, 49, holds bachelor's degrees in religious studies and history from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and earned his doctor of jurisprudence degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law, Knoxville. He has been a member of the District Attorney Generals Conference since 1988, and previously was a member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers, Tennessee Bar and the Shelbyville-Bedford County Bar Associations, the latter of which he served as secretary/treasurer and president during his time as a member. He is a member of the Shelbyville Benevolent Lodge No. 122. Crigler's appointment is effective immediately, and he will stand for election to a full 8-year term in 2006.