TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jan 4, 2021

Dayton City Judge James Wendell McKenzie died Saturday at the age of 76. A 1971 graduate of the Cumberland School of Law, McKenzie first practiced law with his father until 1998, when he was elected as the first Rhea County Family Court judge. He later served as attorney for Dayton and Rhea counties and city judge for Graysville and Spring City. The grandson of Ben G. McKenzie — who was prominent in the prosecution of John T. Scopes in the landmark 1925 Scopes Trial — McKenzie often was cast in the role of his grandfather for the county’s annual reenactment of the trial. Visitation will take place tonight until 8 p.m. at Coulter Garrison Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST at First Baptist Church of Dayton. Interment to follow at Buttram Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the First Baptist Church of Dayton’s Benevolent Fund or Rhea County Sheriff’s Christmas Toy Drive.