Judicial selection in Tennessee

From Judgepedia

Please help others learn about Tennessee courts and judges by expanding this Tennessee-related article.

Judicial selection in Tennessee is performed according to the Tennessee Plan. The Tennessee Plan calls for the creation of a commission (formerly the Judicial Selection Commission, now the Judicial Nominating Commission ^[1]) which interviews and evaluates applicants to the judiciary and gives recommendations to the Governor.

The person chosen by the governor then begins service on the court; at the first statewide general election following his or her appointment the person's name is placed before the public on the ballot on a simple yes-no basis retention vote. If a majority of voters decides this question in the negative, the process outlined above starts over. Every eight years, all members of all of the appellate courts of Tennessee are subjected to this process as well. All appellate judges are subjected to this process on a statewide basis, not just in the "Grand Division" from which they are appointed.