Wicks up for criminal court judg

Jeff Wicks has been a general sessions court judge in Roane County since 2006.

He hopes to continue serving as a judge, just in a different position.

Wicks has applied for the 9th Judicial District criminal court judge seat that’s being vacated by E. Eugene Eblen.

“I feel it’s time for me to step up and go from general sessions court judge to criminal court judge,” Wicks said Tuesday.

“I enjoy criminal law and I believe that my background and experience has prepared me for this position.”

Wicks is a former Secret Service agent. He became a lawyer in 1999 and was appointed as general session court judge in March 2006.

In August of that year he defeated Brenda Hall McDonald in the election, which earned him an eight-year term as sessions court judge.

Wicks ran unopposed in last year’s sessions court Part 1 judge race.

Roane County has two general sessions court judges. Dennis Humphrey is the judge for sessions court Part 2.

Roane, Loudon, Meigs and Morgan counties make up the 9th Judicial District.

Eblen has been the criminal court judge for the district since 1978. He plans to retire at the end of the year.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments began accepting applications for the criminal court judge seat on July 28.

The council will pick candidates to send to Gov. Bill Haslam for consideration. If he chooses to appoint someone, that person’s term will end on Aug. 31, 2016.

The criminal court judge seat will be on the ballot in the August 2016 election. The winner will serve the remainder of Eblen’s term, which goes to Aug. 31, 2022.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is supposed to meet somewhere in the judicial district next month to “initiate the process of filling the vacancy.”

Sept. 1 is the deadline for candidates to submit applications.

Wicks listed state Sen. Ken Yager, Sheriff Jack Stockton and District Attorney General Russell Johnson as references on his application.