East TN district adding seventh judge to reduce case backlog

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — State funding has been approved to add another judge the judicial district consisting of Cocke , Grainger , Jefferson , and Sevier counties with the goal of more speedy trials and reducing the caseload on each judge.

A bill to add a seventh judge to the Fourth Judicial District was approved by legislators and now heads to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. Currently, six judges oversee the Fourth Judicial District which contains more than 216,000 people, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The bill creates an additional circuit court in addition to reallocating another judgeship to the 19th Judicial District in Middle Tennessee.

Lee will appoint a judge to serve beginning Sept. 1, then the judgeship will be elected in August 2026. The elected judge will hold office for four years, and in 2030 would be elected for a full eight-year term.

State Rep. Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville) said the legislation marks the first time in state history that judgeships have been reallocated.

“Public safety is one of our top priorities, and part of that is ensuring speedy trials and getting criminals off our streets. Another judge in the 4th judicial district will help expedite that process and ultimately make the community a safer place for everyone,” Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) said.

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