The search for the replacement for Judge D. Michael Swiney on the Court of Appeals Eastern Section is underway, as five applicants gear up for public interviews. The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments has slated these interviews for January 7, 2026, marking a pivotal step in filling the vacancy set for Swiney's retirement on January 12, according to a press release from the Tennessee Courts website.
Up for consideration are Jeffery Scott Griswold, Christopher Dunn Heagerty, Rachel Park Hurt, William Erwin Phillips II, and Melissa Thomas Willis. Post the interview process, the council will deliberate and vote to forward three nominees to the governor, who will then make the final appointment. The public has the opportunity to attend the hearings at the Knoxville Supreme Court Building and present either oral or written objections to the applicants if they so choose.
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments ensures a transparent selection with this public vetting process. In anticipation of the upcoming interviews, the council encourages those requiring accommodations due to a disability or anyone holding inquiries about the proceedings to reach out to AOC Assistant General Counsel Laura Blount, as detailed in their official announcement.
Community involvement is not just welcomed, but needed in such democratic exercises. This public hearing serves as an intimate forum where the voices of citizens resonate in the halls of justice, potentially impacting the decision of who will next don the judge's robe. This significant event in Tennessee's judiciary is less than a month away, and the eyes of the public are firmly set on the five candidates vying to shape the legal landscape of the Eastern Section.
