Most of our citizens have a general idea of what our judges do, but may not know in detail.
We see that our City, General Sessions and Criminal Court judges handle “criminal cases,” and that City, General Sessions and Circuit courts have cases dealing with “civil and property law.” But many may not be familiar with the jurisdiction of the two divisions of Chancery Court in Hamilton County, whose judges are usually called “chancellors.”
It is timely for voters to become familiar with Chancery Court because on Aug. 5 they will select a new chancellor for Chancery Court, Division 2, from among three candidates.
The candidates are Art Grisham, Jeff Atherton and Valerie Epstein. All have reputations as honorable lawyers. A majority of their colleagues in the Chattanooga Bar Association have recommended Mr. Grisham – as do we.
A chancellor handles domestic relations cases, worker’s compensation, estates, trusts, delinquent taxes, wills, contracts and a wide variety of other civil law cases.
Mr. Grisham, a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Law, has practiced law in Chattanooga for 39 years in a variety of trial and other cases. He also has served from time to time as a special judge.
He is a past president of the Chattanooga Bar Association, having been honored and elected by his knowledgeable fellow attorneys.
He also has served as chairman of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Wastewater Board, as a member of Hope for the Inner City Board, as a member of a blue ribbon panel of the Erlanger hospital Financial Committee, and as an elder of the New City Fellowship church in Glenwood.
Mr. Grisham served as a captain in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1969 and received the Distinguished Service Medal.
We believe Mr. Grisham’s much broader and more extensive experience, and his judicial temperament, recommend him to be elected by the voters Aug. 5 to serve as a judge in Hamilton County’s Chancery Court.