Nashville, Tenn. – Members of the newly formed Judicial Nominating Commission convened today to elect officers and begin the process for filling the vacancy in the 30th Judicial District created by the retirement of Judge D’Army Bailey. The new judicial application, which was approved by the commission today, is now available online at our web site.
Interested applicants must be attorneys who are at least 30 years of age, a resident of the state for five years and a resident of their circuit or district for one year. All applicants must complete the designated application and submit it to the Administrative Office of the Courts by Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. CDT.
The commission will hold their next executive committee meeting on Friday, October 16, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. CDT in Memphis. Members of the public are invited to attend the public hearing, which will be held at 9 a.m., to express their opinions about the applicants for the judicial vacancy. Following the public hearing, the commission will interview each applicant before submitting three names to the governor.
Additionally, the commission elected David Bautista of Carter County to serve as president. Bautista is an adjunct professor of criminal law at East Tennessee State University. He spent 21 years in private practice and served as a district public defender in the 1st Judicial District for 17 years.
“I am honored and humbled to be selected as the first chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission,” Bautista said. “This commission has the important task of reviewing and recommending the most qualified applicants to serve as judges in Tennessee. I am confident that this commission will go to great lengths to help preserve the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary as the decisions we make will affect the quality of the judiciary for years to come.”
Bill Young, Hamilton County resident and General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Risk Management Blue Cross Blue Shield, was elected as vice chair of the commission. The commission selected Thomas Lawless, a private practice attorney in Davidson County, to serve as the secretary.
For a link to Judicial Application and information on the Judicial Nominating Commission, click here.