Ten Memphis legal insiders are vying for two brand new criminal-court judgeships in Shelby County, roles the Tennessee legislature created this year to focus on violent-offense cases. The new divisions are meant to chip away at a growing backlog of serious charges, and the first judges will be appointed by the governor instead of landing on an upcoming ballot. With applicants coming from across the local legal world, the selections are expected to shape how violent crimes move through Shelby County courts for years.
According to the Daily Memphian, the 10 applicants are Mitchell Wood, Paul Hagerman, Dewun Settle, Seth Segraves, Meghan Fowler, Ruchee Patel, Jessica Van Dyke, Christopher Lareau, Melanie M. Headley and Marques Young. Their paperwork went to the Trial Court Vacancy Commission for the two posts, which are being labeled as "violent criminal courts." The group includes prosecutors, defense lawyers and current court staff, reflecting a broad slice of Memphis courtroom regulars.
What the new law does
House Bill 1268 and Senate Bill 0846, together dubbed the "Violent Criminal Court Act," created two additional criminal court divisions in the 30th judicial district that will handle violent-offense cases exclusively. As detailed by the Tennessee General Assembly, the governor must appoint judges to these new courts, and those appointees will serve until Sept. 1, 2028, when voters will elect successors. The law also allows qualifying cases to be moved into the new divisions to relieve pressure on the rest of the criminal docket.
Why the courts were added
State oversight reviews have zeroed in on long case disposition times and clunky case tracking in Shelby County’s criminal system, problems that helped drive the push for specialized violent-crime courts. A March 2025 report from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability flagged those issues and recommended new performance metrics and case-management fixes to speed up resolutions and improve transparency, according to the Tennessee Comptroller. The report also noted that thousands of felony charges were processed between 2018 and June 2024 and called for better data reporting so that backlogs are easier to track.
Next steps and timeline
The law requires the governor to choose interim judges for the two violent-crime divisions, and those appointees will sit on the bench until Sept. 1, 2028, when the jobs convert to elected positions. As outlined by the Tennessee General Assembly, these appointments are meant to be a short-term solution until voters weigh in during the 2028 elections. Legal observers say the Trial Court Vacancy Commission filings, and ultimately the governor’s picks, will draw close attention from prosecutors, defense attorneys and community groups focused on violent-crime outcomes.
Who ends up in those two chairs will help decide how Shelby County handles serious felonies for the foreseeable future. This story will be updated when the governor announces his selections or if any applicants withdraw or advance to a shortlist.
