Contributed Photo by Ethan White / Larry Ables, current prosecutor at Hamilton County General Sessions Court, is running for judge.Larry Ables has launched his campaign to oust Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Gerald Webb.
Ables, who works as a prosecutor in that same court, gained the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police Rock City Lodge #22, according to a Friday news release.
"I am humbled and honored to receive the endorsement and support from our men and women in law enforcement who belong to the FOP," Ables said in the release. "I work tirelessly beside them each day to ensure justice is served and Hamilton County's victims get the answers they deserve."
Ables' experience includes handling cases as a former defense attorney, as well as being the chief magistrate judge, conducting bond hearings and determining probable cause for search and arrest warrants, in Hamilton County from 2007 to 2013 according to his LinkedIn profile.
Ables, who said he began campaigning in April after turning in his qualifying documents, said he wouldn't have come this far without the community's support.
"With the primaries, I knew that it would be hard to get people interested in a county general election. I have spent my time attending events all over the county and sharing my message and vision for General Sessions Court," Ables said in an email to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "I've been to Holder's Market in Birchwood, the Patten Recreation Center in Lookout Valley, Coolidge Park, the Mowbray Mountain Firehall, Floyd's Hardware in Soddy-Daisy, the Ruritan Club in Harrison, the Commons in Collegedale and everywhere in between. I could not have gotten this far without the love and support of my wife, Kayle, and my sons, Trey and Noah. We have worked tirelessly to get out and talk to Hamilton County voters."
When asked why General Sessions, Ables said that after 18 years as an attorney, most of which were spent working in that court in different capacities, he chose Webb's division because the incumbent judge has less time in his chair than the judges in other divisions.
"I chose Division III because the judge that was appointed to that position has been there less time than the other divisions," Ables said. "In the time that Judge Webb was appointed to this position in 2019, he is the only sessions court judge to receive a public reprimand from the Board of Judicial Conduct. Also in that time, he has lost his license to practice law twice for non-completion of continuing legal education credits, a very important yet simple task. This mistake cost taxpayers money and cost other judges valuable time because they had to cover his docket while he worked to remedy these issues."
Webb became the first Black man to hold a countywide judgeship when he was appointed to the bench, but his tenure has not been without stumbles.
In August, Webb was suspended for failure to earn the required continuing education credits necessary for his role as a judge. In November, Webb was reprimanded after posting several "legal tips" on his social media page in which he advised people to hide their stash and to not call attention to themselves while committing crimes - posts he said were designed to "get a laugh" in his response to the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct. Those posts have since been deleted.
Since then, Webb took a short hiatus from social media. In December, Webb began sharing about his work as a judge and his work with the community, including the April 10th Boys Leadership Summit. He has also shared his familial struggle - which included the 2021 death of his sister in Nashville and his second COVID-19 diagnosis in June - with his followers. Most recently, Webb has been primarily posting about his campaigning.
Ables hopes to address the gang issue that has affected Hamilton County should he be elected in the Aug. 4 general election, as well as restoring the pre-pandemic court process.
"We need to address our county's gang problem and make sure that the court is aware of defendants that are on bond or probation and pick up new charges. I want to restore the court dockets to pre-COVID protocols," Ables said. "We should shorten the amount of time that people are in General Sessions Court, and we should hold people accountable for their actions. Part of that accountability will include partnering with military recruiters, religious organizations, labor and trade unions and any other nonprofits that can partner with the court to create opportunities to willing individuals that lack direction in their life."
Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.