The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments has forwarded the names of three applicants to Governor Lee for consideration in order to fill the Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of the Honorable Roger A. Page.
Justice Page, who was first appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court by former Governor Bill Haslam in 2016, announced last year he will retire on August 31, 2024.
On January 4, the Council interviewed six applicants – Tony Childress, J. Ross Dyer, Van Douglas McMahan, Camille R. McMullen, Jeffrey C. Smith, and Mary L. Wagner – vying for the position on the Supreme Court.
After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the Council selected applicants Dyer, McMullen, and Wagner to be considered by the governor.
Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments selects Dyer, McMullen and Wagner as finalists for upcoming Supreme Court vacancy – https://t.co/gdK4kGhmNy
— Tennessee Courts (@TNCourts) January 4, 2024
Dyer currently serves on the Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals Western Section where, during his past two years on the bench, has mostly upheld criminal convictions, according to a review of his opinions conducted by The Tennessee Star.
Wagner currently serves as a circuit court judge for the Thirtieth Judicial District in Memphis and was appointed by the Supreme Court to be a special judge for the Tennessee Workers Compensation Appeals Panel. A review of Wagner’s record conducted by The Star shows one notable case where she dismissed a lawsuit against the City of Memphis filed by a woman named Alicia Franklin, who claimed she was raped by Cleotha Abston, the man who is now charged with the brutal murder of Eliza Fletcher.
The third candidate forwarded to Governor Lee to fill the upcoming vacancy in the Supreme Court is McMullen, who is “perhaps the most high-profile candidate to fill the State Supreme Court role,” according to a review of her record by The Star.
Once Lee selects from the pool of candidates suggested by the Council, that applicant will then move through the confirmation process before the General Assembly.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photos “Judge Camille McMullen” Judge Camille McMullen by Judge Camille McMullen, “Judge J. Ross Dyer” by Judge J. Ross Dyer, and “Judge Mary Wagner” by Judge Mary Wagner.
