Tennessee Governor Bill Lee swore in Justice Dwight E. Tarwater on Friday to serve on the state Supreme Court.
As previously reported by The Tennessee Star, Lee appointed Tarwater to the high court in February, and the legislature confirmed him as a state Supreme Court justice in March.
There is a lengthy public application and hearing procedure before three candidates are nominated to the governor for the position of a new justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court. The governor then chooses one of those candidates for a nomination after conducting personal interviews with them. After many hearings before legislative committees, the General Assembly votes on whether to confirm the governor’s candidate. Both chambers of the General Assembly unanimously confirmed Tarwater.
Tarwater’s term began on September 1st, 2023, and he filled the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sharon G. Lee. Tarwater will be on the August 2024 general election ballot as an appellate “retain/do not retain” candidate. If retained, his term will end on August 31, 2030.
According to Lee, Tarwater is the right person to serve in this position on the Tennessee Supreme Court.
“As Governor, I have the job and the opportunity of selecting justices to the Supreme Court. I have said on many occasions that this may be the most important, if not one of the most important jobs, that a governor has. Justice is the cornerstone of the selection process. It’s the cornerstone for a position on the Supreme Court. I am confident Justice Tarwater is the right person for the job,” Lee said.
According to Chief Justice Holly Kirby, Tarwater has all the elements needed to be a good state Supreme Court justice.`
“Dwight Tarwater has the integrity, the intellect, the work ethic, the compassion, and the old-fashioned common sense needed to be an excellent justice on our state’s high court. He also has perhaps the most important quality — humility. On most of the questions that we hear, the ruling of the Tennessee Supreme Court is the final word. There is no appeal, no higher authority. That’s why humility is so important. The type of power state Supreme Court Justices have must be tempered by humility,” Kirby said.
Former Governor Bill Haslam said that Tarwater has great judgment and “He understands it is not his job to make the law. It is his job to interpret laws, and he will play that role well.”
According to Tarwater, it is an honor to join the Tennessee Supreme Court and he promises to “work hard, be fair, and won’t let Tennessee down.”
Justice Tarwater joins Chief Justice Holly Kirby, Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins, Justice Roger A. Page, and Justice Sarah K. Campbell on the state Supreme Court.
Tarwater is a partner at Paine, Tarwater, Bickers, LLP. In addition to decades of trial and appellate expertise as Haslam’s chief legal counsel, he brings more than 40 years of legal experience to the Tennessee Supreme Court. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Tennessee Star. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
