(The following is a column from the office of State Rep. Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) regarding a judicial redistricing proposal which will affect west Tennessee counties).
On May 21, 2018, Governor Haslam signed a law, establishing an 11 member Advisory Task Force to review the composition of judicial districts in Tennessee and propose a statewide judicial redistricting plan. Members of the Task Force were appointed jointly by Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally and then Speaker of the House Beth Harwell. The Task Force has held public hearings in each of the Grand Divisions of Tennessee – West, Middle and East – to solicit feedback on judicial redistricting. Two public hearings were conducted in West Tennessee — one on April 15 in Jackson at the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex and one on July 15 at the University of Memphis School Law. The Task Force will be meeting in Nashville this coming Monday, August 19, which is the target date for issuing a preliminary report after considering public comments received online and deliberating.
One proposal that has been discussed repeatedly at prior meetings is moving Henry County from the 24th Judicial District and placing it in the 27th Judicial District with Obion and Weakley Counties. Representative Bruce Griffey for House District 75, which encompasses Henry County, has been vocal in his opposition to this proposal and says that “This will cause a myriad of problems including, but not limited to, spreading judicial resources too thin, increasing delays in the legal process, creating massive disruption in the judicial system dealing with changes and limiting access to justice for residents of Henry, Obion and Weakley Counties.”
Griffey, a Henry County native, is very familiar with the judicial system, and the 24th Judicial District in particular, being a practicing attorney for 29 years, having served as an Assistant District Attorney for the 24th Judicial District and continuing to practice as a trial attorney in the 24th Judicial District. He is also a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
“To be frank, I have spoken with a number of individuals concerning the redistricting proposal and have yet to encounter a single individual in Henry, Obion or Weakley County who was not opposed to it. The individuals who will be affected the most by the redistricting proposal don’t perceive any problem necessitating redistricting. Moreover, I am unaware of any benefit that can result from it, just problems. As the old adage goes, ‘If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Griffey.
“Based upon the Report of the Tennessee Trial Judge Association’s Judicial Resource Study Committee, moving Henry County to the 27th Judicial District would result in the loss of a judge for the region. The 24th and 27th Judicial Districts comprised of 7 counties are currently served by 5 judges. The proposed change would result in the loss of a judicial position, and the number of judges serving these 7 counties would be reduced from 5 to 4. Fewer judges necessarily equates to less access to justice, which is a detriment to the population served,” Griffey said.
Griffey said further that “Moving Henry County from the 24th to the 27th Judicial District without allocation of an additional judge would result in the newly configured 27th Judicial District having the largest ratio of judge to population size in all of West Tennessee. Specifically, it would be 1 judge for approximately 50,000 people. This outnumbers any other judicial district in West Tennessee by over 7,000 people per judge. It would also mean that the 2 judges currently serving the 27th Judicial District would experience their workload increase by 50%. This necessarily means reduced access to justice by the constituents of Henry, Obion and Weakley Counties.”
Griffey is not alone. On March 8, 2019, members of the Henry County Bar Association met and unanimously voted to oppose the proposed redistricting, and, thereafter on March 26, 2019, attorney Andy Clark, as President of the Henry County Bar Association, submitted a letter to theTask Force voicing opposition to the redistricting. Additionally, on March 18, 2019, the Henry County Board of Commissioners passed Resolution No. 1-3-19 opposing redistricting.
Griffey has attended two prior meetings of the Task Force in Nashville at which he vocalized his opposition to redistricting as it relates to Henry County, and he plans to attend the upcoming Task Force meeting in Nashville on Monday to continue providing a voice of opposition. “As a practicing attorney in the 24th Judicial District who was born and raised in Henry County, on a personal and professional level, I am fundamentally against removing Henry County from the 24th Judicial District. Additionally, as an elected representative and voice for over 32,000 Henry Countians in my state house district, I strenuously oppose removing Henry County from the 24th Judicial District in my official capacity as a state legislator, and I will continue to vehemently oppose any redistricting that would involve removing Henry County from the 24th Judicial District and placing it in the 27th Judicial District,” Griffey said.
According to Griffey, in 2009, a Tennessee Judicial Redistricting Study was conducted by The Justice Management Institute as contracted by the state. “Relevant issues were raised in the course of that study as to whether judicial redistricting was feasible, much less desirable. Additionally, there was no clear understanding as to what perceived problems existed that could be remedied by changing the boundary lines of judicial districts. The conclusion reached was that judicial redistricting was unnecessary, and I believe that the same remains true today. The principal problem that has arisen has been a shortage of judges, which the legislature has remedied with the appropriation of additional judicial resources and the creation of additional judicial seats. Simply put, judicial redistricting as it relates to the 24th and 27th Judicial Districts is unnecessary, undesirable and unfeasible,” Griffey concluded.
The Task Force is continuing to accept comments online about judicial redistricting, and Griffey is encouraging all Henry, Obion and Weakley Countians to let their voices be heard on this issue before Monday’s meeting by submitting a public comment on the Task Force’s website at: http://tncourts.gov/node/5499732
Menu
