Retired judge to fill Chancery Court seat for now

No appointment yet from governor to replace Howell Peoples

Background checks could be holding up the appointment of an interim judge to the Hamilton County Chancery Court, one nominee said Thursday.

"I got a call from the (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) a couple of weeks ago to submit information about my life," said local attorney Arthur Grisham, who on Feb. 23 became one of three nominees whose names were sent to the governor as possible replacements for longtime Chancellor Howell Peoples. "I just think the TBI is still in the midst of their investigations."

The Tennessee Judicial Nominating Commission also nominated local attorneys Joe E. Manuel and Jeffrey M. Atherton as possible candidates. Gov. Phil Bredesen's office Thursday declined to answer questions about why he had not yet made a choice.

Senior retired Judge Donald Paul Harris, of Franklin, Tenn., will fill the gap in the meantime. He will start hearing cases on Monday, said Lee Akers, clerk and master at Hamilton County Chancery Court.

Chancellor Peoples officially retired Wednesday after 32 years of service, and Gov. Bredesen had been expected to pick a replacement before that time to serve until the election in August.

The appointee would have to run in August in order to serve out Chancellor Peoples' term, which does not expire until 2014.

Mr. Akers said Thursday that any speculation on why the governor has not made the appointment is "just rumor at this point."

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said.

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