Long-serving Appeals Judge Highers to retire

administrative office of the him because the Tennescourts announced. see legislature failed to

Highers has served renew the statutory provion the Court of Appeals sions for nominating new judge of the court’s Westsince 1982 and is the curjudges and the nominatern Section, won’t seek rerent longest-serving aping process expires June 30.pellate election next year, and the judge in the state. L state’s Judicial Nominating His term expires Aug. 31, icensed attorneys who NASHVILLE — State Court Commission will meet 2014, but the Nominating are at least 30 years old, of Appeals Judge Alan E. June 29 to select three canCommission is accepting residents of Tennessee Highers, the presiding didates to succeed him, the applications to succeed for five years, residents of their judicial circuit or district for one year and residents of West Tennessee may submit applications for the judgeship by noon June 19 to the administrative office of the courts. The applications are available online at tncourts.gov.

The commission will interview qualified applicants June 29 in Jackson. That meeting will include a public hearing in which citizens may express their opinions about the applicants. The commission will then choose three nominees for submission to Gov. Bill Haslam, who will select a judge to begin serving Sept. 1, 2014.

Highers was initially appointed by then- governor Lamar Alexander and has won re- election via Tennessee’s “yes” or “no” retention elections for appellate judges since that time.

He is a past president and executive committee member of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, a graduate of Freed-Hardeman University, Lipscomb University and the University of Memphis Law School.

He is the third Tennessee appeals court judge to announce his retirement in 2014.

The Judicial Nominating Commission meets June 27 and June 28 in the Eastern and Middle divisions of the state to select candidates for those two upcoming vacancies.