Chancellor James Butler of the 26th Judicial District, including Madison, Henderson and Chester counties, has completed an intensive four-day Judicial Academy conducted Nov. 17-20 by the state Administrative Office of the Courts.
Butler, of Jackson, was among 14 trial and general sessions judges from across the state who attended the academy in Nashville. Gov. Phil Bredesen appointed Butler to the bench in June to fill a vacancy created by the death of Chancellor Joe Morris.
Courses for judges elected or appointed since the last academy in 2000 included transition from bar to bench; dealing with stress; docket control; civil and criminal jury instruction; how to handle juries; reversals; contempt of court; and judicial writing. They also completed courses on workers compensation; ethics; evidence; criminal law; procedure, search warrants and sentencing; domestic relations; and Supreme Court Rule 13 dealing with the appointment of attorneys for indigent defendants.
Chancellor Steve Stafford of Dyersburg was dean of the academy. The courses were taught by current and former Tennessee judges including Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Allen Glenn, Circuit Court Judge Robert Childers and Criminal Court Judge James Beasley, Jr., all of Memphis. Other West Tennessee instructors included Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Joe Riley of Ridgely and Circuit Court Judge Creed McGinley of Savannah.