This week the Washington County Commission voted unanimously to appoint Judge Janet Vest Hardin to fill out the remaining term of the late Judge James Nidiffer on the Washington County General Sessions Court bench. Judge Nidiffer passed away in September after having stepped down from the bench in June for health reasons. The appointment was reported by the Johnson City Press.
Judge Hardin had been appointed Special Judge of the Court in August by Governor Bill Lee out of a pool of 15 applicants.
“Janet Vest Hardin’s decades of experience as a prosecutor and attorney make her an exceptional addition to the bench in Washington County,” said Governor Lee said at the time. “I’m grateful for her willingness to serve and am proud to appoint her to this position.”
The Washington County Commission’s action means that Judge Hardin will serve until at least August 2022, when she has the opportunity to run for election to a full judicial term.
Prior to working in private practice in 2019, Judge Hardin served as Assistant District Attorney for the 1st Judicial District from 1988-2019 and the 6th Judicial District from 1987-1988. She has also held roles as an Adjunct Professor at East Tennessee State University and at Ritchie, Fels and Dillard.
Judge Hardin earned her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University.
At the Commission meeting this week, Judge Hardin talked about how much she loved being a judge and thanked the commissioners for appointing her.
“I’m not sure what it says about me that I’m the most comfortable in the courtroom, but I am and I love it,” she said, in video of the meeting taken by WJHL-TV. “The combination of the time that I was a defense attorney and a prosecutor led me to this point in my career. When the Governor appointed me I was humbled, but I am extraordinarily honored by your confidence in me tonight.”
She also talked about the high standards she sets for herself and for her courtroom.
“The most important thing to me as a judge is that when people come into my courtroom, they know they have a fair shot,” she said. “They are heard and treated respectfully regardless of who they are or what they do.”