Nashville, Tenn. - The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider five applicants when it meets to select nominees for an upcoming vacancy on the Court of Appeals Eastern Section, after the retirement of Judge D. Michael Swiney on January 12, 2026.
The applicants include:
Jeffery Scott Griswold
Christopher Dunn Heagerty
Rachel Park Hurt
William Erwin Phillips II
Melissa Thomas Willis
Public interviews of the applicants are scheduled for Wednesday, January 7, 2025, at 10 a.m. EST in the courtroom of the Knoxville Supreme Court Building located at 505 Main Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. At the conclusion of the interviews, the Council will vote to send three applicants to the governor.
Any member of the public may attend the public hearing and can express, orally or in writing, objections concerning applicant(s) for the judicial vacancy. If you require an accommodation and/or have special needs because of a qualified disability, or have questions about the Council, please contact AOC Assistant General Counsel Laura Blount at 615-741-2687 or laura.blount@tncourts.gov.