The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct (TBJC) recommended the ouster of Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd in a Thursday letter sent to Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville).
“The Board does not make this recommendation lightly,” the letter states. “Judge Boyd is solely responsible for the untenable situation she has created for herself, the judiciary, and the public.”
“Accordingly, to protect the public and preserve the trust and confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and the proper administration of justice, the Board recommends that Judge Boyd be removed from office,” the 7-page decision adds.
The TBJC voted 16-0 to recommend Boyd be removed from office.
Boyd’s history of unethical behavior, according to information reported by the TBJC, began in November 2022 when the Board received a complaint alleging Boyd was abusing alcohol and threatening to intimidate an acquaintance.
In May 2023, Boyd was sanctioned by the TBJC for soliciting campaign donations through social media posts using photographs showing Boyd in her judicial robe.
In October 2023, the TBJC publicly sanctioned Boyd a second time for being noncompliant with the terms of the first sanction.
In December 2023, Boyd was criminally indicted and taken into Memphis Police Department (MPD) custody after she allegedly harassed and attempted to coerce her former campaign manager who told the TBJC that Boyd was under the influence of drugs while hearing cases.
Unless removed from office, Boyd has the ability to receive her full salary and serve out her term, which doesn’t end until September 2030.
“The Board notes that Judge Boyd has now received two public reprimands and has been suspended since May 22, 2023, all within the short time she has been a judge. She agreed to the first public reprimand, agreed to the suspension of May 22, 2023, and agreed that the suspension would become public as a second reprimand upon her noncompliance. She acknowledged that she used illegal drugs while a judge, acknowledged that she needed treatment, and she failed to comply with the November 22, 2023, order,” the letter states.
“Nor is there any doubt that other criminal court judges in Shelby County have had to handle Judge Boyd’s cases, in addition to their own cases. Meanwhile, Judge Boyd has continued to collect her full salary and benefits going on the better part of a year and, unfortunately, there is no end in sight but for her removal,” the letter adds.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd” by Tennessee Courts.
