Judge Norton gets a hug. His wife, Cathy, is in the foreground at the right.
David Norton was sworn into office as General Sessions Court judge at a ceremony on Tuesday morning at the Courts Building.
He was appointed by the County Commission to fill the seat that came open upon the recent death of Judge Bob Moon.
Judge Norton will serve until the Aug. 2 election. He has picked up papers to be a candidate in that race.
He has been judge at Soddy Daisy for 27 years. Sam Elliott, city attorney for Soddy Daisy, said Judge Norton has not resigned that post. But he said in the time period between now and the Aug. 2 election he will not be receiving any pay or performing any duties.
Apparently, if he loses the election as General Sessions Court judge, he then could pick back up as Soddy Daisy judge.
He is leaving his longtime position as an assistant in the county attorney's office.
Judge Norton grew up in Red Bank, where his father, Dr. Ralph E. Norton, was pastor of Red Bank Baptist Church for 25 years. His father succeeded the late Judge H.L. Smith's father as pastor and was followed after his retirement by Dr. Fred Steelman, father of Judge Barry Steelman.
He graduated from UTC and the Memphis Law School. He returned to Chattanooga to practice law in 1977 and joined the county attorney's office in 1984. He was appointed judge in Soddy Daisy in 1985.
Judge Norton is a commissioner with the Hixson Utility District and is a former chairman of the board of the League Central Credit Union.
He is chairman of the state Utility Management Review Board.
Judge Norton and his wife, Cathy, reside in Middle Valley. They have five children, Parker Norton, Kaylie Lumley, Lyndsey Norton, Amy Brown and Cary Bates and six grandchildren.
They are members of Dallas Bay Baptist Church.