Criminal Court Judges Mark Ward and Chris Craft of Shelby County, the 30th Judicial District, have been honored by the Criminal Law Section of the Memphis Bar Association. Ward was voted Judge of the Year while Craft has been chosen to receive the section’s Outstanding Service Award.
“Judge Ward is among the state’s most outstanding judges and is extremely well-regarded by members of the Memphis Bar,” said Garland Erguden, chair of the Bar’s Criminal Law Section. “As a point of interest, he got a 9.70 in the latest judicial evaluation by the Bar Association members. Of the 70 judges in Memphis, that was the highest score.”
Erguden said Craft’s award is in honor of his ongoing assistance, such as speaking, offering the use of his courtroom for programs, teaching Continuing Legal Education courses and “generally doing the heavy lifting.”
Ward was appointed to the bench in 2004 by Gov. Phil Bredesen. Prior to his appointment, he had worked as an assistant public defender and was in the in the private practice of law. He holds bachelor’s and law degrees from Memphis State University, a master’s degree in religion from Memphis Theological Seminary and a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Memphis.
Craft was appointed to the bench in 1994. He received his bachelor’s degree from Memphis State University and his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.