Chancellor Telford E. Forgety, Jr., of New Market has been appointed to the commission responsible for evaluating state appellate judges, including members of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and recommending to voters whether they should be retained in office or removed.
Forgety, who serves the 4th and 5th Judicial Districts, including Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier and Blount counties, is one of six new members appointed to the Tennessee Judicial Evaluation Commission. Other members appointed by the state Judicial Council are Chancellors Howell N. Peoples of Hamilton County, the 11th Judicial District, and Carol L. McCoy of Davidson County, the 20th Judicial District; Criminal Court Judge J.C. McLin of Shelby County, the 30th Judicial District; and Henrietta Grant, manager of community relations for the Knoxville Utility Board. Nashville attorney John Day was appointed by Lt. Gov. John Wilder. Terms of the new members are for six years.
The 12-member commission, created by the General Assembly, evaluates the performance of incumbent appellate court judges and makes recommendations to voters either “for retention” or “against retention.” By state law, the five Supreme Court justices, 12 members of the Court of Appeals and 12 members of the Court of Criminal Appeals are evaluated every eight years and re sults are published in newspapers across the state.
All judicial terms in Tennessee are eight years. When a mid-term vacancy occurs on an appellate or trial court, the state Judicial Selection Commission interviews applicants and recommends up to three candidates to the governor, who appoints a new judge to fill the unexpired term until the next August general election.