Being appointed by the Council to fill a General Sessions Court vacancy is no guarantee one will keep the seat, next election.

Recently in writing about the Metro Council's selecting of a General Sessions judge to fill a vacancy, I wrote the following: "Usually these vacancies get filled by a sitting councilman. Once elected, General Court judges seldom face serious challenges for reelection so getting the seat is almost like a lifetime appointment."

I was relying on  limited knowledge of former councilmen who were selected by the Council to fill a General Sessions Court vacancy such as Bill Higgins, Leon Ruben and Amanda McClendon. At one timeI think what I said was true, but apparently no so any more. In a Tennessean article today, Nashville Judge Sam Coleman draws 2 election challengers, the reporter writes: "The last three judges appointed by the council have gone on to lose their first elections. The most recent was former Councilman Mike Jameson, who lost to Rachel Bell in 2012 after Jameson had been appointed to the seat the year before."

I stand corrected. No longer does being appointed by the Council to fill a General Sessions Court vacancy guarantee one will keep the seat next election. I am please to offer this correction.

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