The Chattanooga Bar Association is conducting a poll of the 18 attorneys seeking appointment from the County Commission for General Sessions Court judge.
The open seat is due to the early retirement of Judge Clarence Shattuck.
The poll says:
The Board of Governors has been asked to conduct a poll as to the judicial/legal competence of the 18 candidates applying for vacancy in General Sessions Court.
Judicial competency shall be measured by 1) good moral character, 2) legal ability, 3) diligence, and 4) temperament, without the influence of personal preference or partisan consideration.
You must vote for three separate candidates. You cannot allocate two or more votes for one candidate. You will rank your top three of the eighteen applicants. You will indicate your first choice by selecting "1," second choice by selecting "2," and third choice by selecting "3." Only one ballot will be counted per CBA member.
Your ballot will be counted by a non-associated third party, and your identity will remain confidential.
Due to current time constraints in appointing a replacement judge, the deadline for voting is Friday, March 22 at 2 p.m.
Candidates are Larry Ables, Kevin Beck, Jeffrey Davis, Scott H. Grant, Cris Helton, Joseph Hollis Jr., Jeffrey B. Kopet, Mike Little, Leslie Longshore, Boyd Patterson, Bill Pemerton (listed on the ballot as Pemberton), Ron Powers, David Schmidt, Elizabeth Schmidt, Philip R. Strang, Carmen Ware, Gerald Webb and Kevin Wilson.
The County Commission will interview the candidates on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
The appointment is slated to be made at the regular commission meeting on Wednesday, March 27.
The new judge will be sworn in on Monday, April 1.
That judge will serve until the August 2020 county general election.
The winner of the judgeship in the election will serve the remainder of Judge Shattuck's term until the August 2022 election.