Bone McAllester Norton attorney I’Ashea Myles has announced she is running to succeed Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle — who announced last week she would not seek re-election — the Nashville Post reports. Myles earned her law degree from Belmont University College of Law in 2014. During law school she clerked with the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Tennessee Attorney General’s Office and the district attorney’s office in Rutherford County. Following graduation, Myles practiced with the Hagan Law Group and Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan before joining Bone McAllester in 2018. Her practice is focused on construction, business and real estate litigation. Myles was a member of the TBA Diversity Leadership Institute class of 2014. 

Circuit Court Judges Deanna Johnson, Mike Binkley and Woody Woodruff, who all serve in the 21st Judicial District, recently announced reelection campaigns, the Williamson Herald reports. Each will run for reelection in the May 2022 Republican primary. Johnson began her service on the bench when appointed in November 2014 and was unopposed in her first election. Binkley was elected in a 2012 special election and retained his seat in the 2014 election. Woodruff was elected in 2014 and has served since then. All three were in private practice before joining the bench.

Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn has announced that she is seeking a second four-year term, the Daily Memphian reports. Kuhn hosted an opening fundraiser at Neil’s Music Room in East Memphis with a guest list that included Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, former U.S. Rep. John Tanner and several Shelby County judges. During the event, Kuhn touted the several thousand criminal record expungements her office has processed and called for an “expungement court” that would take a “holistic approach” to the process that would help those eligible to also find and keep jobs.

Assistant District Attorney Blake Sempkowski has announced his candidacy for Hamblen County General Sessions Judge, Division II, the Citizen Tribune reports. A graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law, Sempkowski first practiced law with his father, Edward, in Morristown, handling a variety of civil, juvenile and criminal cases. In 2007, he began working as an assistant public defender. After 12 years, he was named to his current position as assistant district attorney for the Third Judicial District.

Prosecutor Caroline Knight is running for 13th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge, Part II, Tullahoma News reports. A Tennessee native, Knight has lived and worked in the district since 2008. She has served as an assistant district attorney general for 10 years and as a child crimes prosecutor for the last five years. Knight was licensed to practice law in 2006 and represented Upper Cumberland clients in domestic cases, adoption, property disputes and estate planning until 2011. She also has served as a hearing officer for the Crossville Housing Authority.

Erwin attorney Lois Shults Davis recently declared her candidacy for the 1st Judicial District Circuit Court judge, the Erwin Record reports. The district serves Carter, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties. Originally from the area, Davis earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She worked for a Knoxville law firm during school but formed a firm in Erwin following graduation. She has been active in the local community, including serving as the Unicoi County High School mock trial coach for many years. “I want to invest my energy now in assuring the success of our region’s families, businesses and communities through fair judgment and sound justice so that those who come before the Circuit Court can repair, resume and build their lives in the best way possible,” Shults Davis says.

Neil Stauffer, the current assistant city attorney in Clarksville, has announced his candidacy for district attorney of the 19th Judicial District, which includes Montgomery and Robertson counties, Mainstreet Clarksville reports. Stauffer earned his law degree from Regent University School of Law and previously served in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps and as assistant general counsel with the Tennessee Department of Health, prosecuting drug diversion and violations of standards pertaining to patient care. He currently serves as a judge advocate general in the Army Reserves.

Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin Taylor issued a legal opinion this week stating that the special election to fill the seat of late Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, cannot also include the District 9 County Commission seat, the Chattanoogan reports. County Commissioner Greg Martin had asked Taylor if the elections could be combined so that commission members could forego appointing an interim commissioner. Taylor said other voters in the district would be disenfranchised if the two elections were merged. Gov. Bill Lee has not yet issued the writ of election that will determine dates for the primary and general special elections.

Roger A. Miller has announced his intention to seek re-election for a second term as Anderson County General Sessions judge for Division II, located in Oak Ridge. Miller was first elected 2014 after practicing law for 16 years in Clinton, the Oak Ridger reports. He obtained his law degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in 1998. Prior to joining the legal profession, Miller was an EMS paramedic for 13 years.

Former State Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, has announced that he will run for Rutherford County mayor, TNJ: On the Hill reports. Incumbent Bill Ketron has encountered several legal problems pertaining to his former insurance business and most recently received a $135,000 civil penalty for questionable campaign contributions and expenditures. Carr served as a state representative from 2008 until 2014 when he launched an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate in the Republican primary against Lamar Alexander. He also ran unsuccessfully for two different U.S. House seats and the state Republican Party chair. He was hired to work in Gov. Bill Lee’s administration in 2018, but left after roughly a year.