John Brooks, right, with City Councilman Chris Anderson
Former Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman John Brooks has picked up papers to run for the District 6 County Commission seat that he once held.
In 2006, he won the seat that had been held by Ben Miller and then his widow, Lou Miller.
However, Republican Joe Graham defeated incumbent Brooks in 2010.
The two apparently are headed for another showdown in 2014.
Mr. Brooks, who is an attorney, said the makeup of the district has changed considerably due to the 2010 redistricting.
He said a commissioner is needed who will work hard to bring more jobs to the district and county.
John Allen Brooks biography:
Place of Birth: Chattanooga, Tennessee on June 3, 1953
Parents: Henry Allen Brooks, Father, Deceased
Betty Jean Brooks, Mother
Siblings: Mark Wheeler Brooks, works with TVA
Phillip Henry Brooks, Dairy Farmer in Ooltewah, TN
Wife: Janet Rose Brooks, works at United Way
Career: Attorney, graduated from University of Tennessee Law School 1978. I am in private practice, handling primarily criminal defense work.
Prior Work History: 1978-1980—University of Tennessee Legal Clinic, staff attorney/faculty member of the University of Tennessee College of Law
1980-1982—Attorney for the Southeast Tennessee Legal Services, legal representation for indigent individuals
1982-1991—Merrill Lynch, account executive
1991-1995—Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office, Staff attorney
1995-Present—Self employed, attorney dealing primarily with criminal
defense work in Federal Court and State Court. I also work in Juvenile Court. I am a lifelong resident of Hamilton County, Tennessee excluding time I spent in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee. I received a Bachelor of Arts with honors in 1975 with my primary areas of major in Political Science and History. I received by law degree or Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1978, also from the University of Tennessee and worked for the law school for two (2) years.
My largest segment of my practice is in Federal Criminal Defense in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee. I am also a member of Bar of the United States District Court, Middle District of Tennessee. I am a member of the Bar of the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
State Criminal Defense Work—Primarily in the Criminal Courts of Hamilton County, Tennessee and the General Sessions Court of Hamilton County, Tennessee. I am a member of the Bar of the State of Tennessee.
Juvenile Law—I have a practice in the Hamilton County Juvenile Courts concerning all areas of Juvenile Law from that of Criminal Defense to that of the Dependency Neglect part of the Juvenile Court, I have been a Guardian ad Litem on numerous occasions and have some experience in the Child Support part of Juvenile Court.
CIVIC ACTIVITIES
My interest in mental health goes back many years to my high school days at Ooltewah High School. I had a friend who developed serious mental issues at the time of her graduation from high school that caused my interest in mental health problems. Once I returned to Hamilton County I did volunteer work for a couple of years with patients at Moccasin Bend, which entailed me going to the Winston Building and working with individuals who were there on a long term basis. I later went on to become a member of the Mental Health Association here in Hamilton County, and it was from the Mental Health Association that we developed and began several programs that are in place today. One (1) of these programs was the AIM Center, which I feel is one (1) of the truly outstanding public/private tools to help individuals with mental health problems.
I also served on the board of the Fortwood Center for a number of years, and was treasurer of that organization. In my profession, I have dealt with mental health issues over the years. I work with, and have represented individuals with severe mental problems, both cognitive in nature as well as the other mental health illnesses that we see.
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Member of the Hamilton County Democratic Party. I have twice been elected as chairperson of the Hamilton County Democratic Party. I have been their treasure on two (2) occasions. I was elected to the Hamilton County Commission in 2006 and served until 2010. I hope this will give you an idea of my background, and if you have any other questions, I will be happy to answer them.
Brenda Freeman Short and John Brooks