TOP PHOTO: Newly elected General Sessions Judge Bill Jones guest spoke at Tuesday’s South Campbell County Rotary Club luncheon.

By Charlotte Underwood 

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Recently elected General Sessions Judge and Rotarian Bill Jones was Tuesday’s guest speaker at the South Campbell County Rotary Club luncheon.

Jones is a graduate of Scott County High School. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a law degree. He spent one year in private law practice and has worked more than 14 years at the Public Defender’s Office. He has two children and is a member of New Horizon Baptist Church. 

Jones said he appreciated the people of Campbell County electing him and that he was looking forward to getting started in his new position.  He also said that the “juvenile court system was one of the main reasons he wanted to be elected general sessions judge.”

He said he ran for office because he wanted to help people and because of how “impactful” the office of general sessions judge is on the lives of others and the community. He had his own personal account of how a Scott County General Sessions Judge helped his family after his brother was killed in an automobile accident. It was after that when he decided to attend law school. 

“I saw the impact the job had on people’s lives first hand,” Jones said. 

Bill Jones is a graduate of Scott County High School. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a law degree. He spent one year in private law practice and has worked more than 14 years at the Public Defender’s Office. He has two children and is a member of New Horizon Baptist Church. 

He spoke on his plans for the county in his new role as general sessions judge and several changes he hoped to implement over the next eight years. He also briefly explained how the court system works and the role of the general sessions judge. 

“I plan to work on the scheduling of the general sessions court and implementing a timed docket which was something I campaigned on,” Jones said. He said he would cut down the number of court reviews which would help the docket as well. 

He also said he wanted to implement a Recovery Court in general sessions court.

According to Jones, Recovery Court is “Really like a branch of probation.”

“They send you to treatment, to a halfway house, you get drug tests. As you make it further through the program, you get more and more freedom. You get your life back; it doesn’t make sense to offer this only in criminal court,” Jones said. 

He said it would not be a county expense and that there were state and federal funds to help establish it. 

“I’m going to listen to the people and have consistency. Being a judge isn’t about talking to people, but listening to people,” Jones said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/17/2022-6AM)

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