Court of Appeals Judge D. Michael Swiney, of Knoxville, has been selected by judges of the 12-member court to be chief judge for a term of one year.
Judge Swiney has been a member of the Court of Appeals since 1999, when he was appointed by then-Governor Don Sundquist. He was elected to the bench in August 2000 and re-elected in 2006 and 2014.
“I am honored to have been selected by my fellow judges and look forward to the challenge of this expanded role with the Court of Appeals,” Judge Swiney said.
The chief judge of the Court of Appeals is responsible for assigning appellate cases to judges, ensuring the cases on appeal move through in a timely manner to resolution, and other administrative duties.
Judge Swiney received a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1978 and engaged in the private practice of law in Knoxville from 1979 to 1999. Beginning in 1994, he served as a certified mediator with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee until appointed to the Court of Appeals in July 1999. He served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law from 1997 to 2006.
Judge Swiney is a member of the Knoxville and Tennessee Bar Associations, and the Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court. Judge Swiney also served as a member of the Court of the Judiciary from 2003 to 2011.
Judge Swiney resides in Knoxville with his wife, Suzann.
