CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Judge Jill B. Ayers, a sitting Circuit Court judge serving the 19th Judicial District that covers Montgomery and Robertson Counties, has made the shortlist f0r the governor’s consideration for appointment to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.
News of Judge Ayers’s application was announced earlier this month. The vacancy on the bench was created by the retirement of the Honorable Thomas Woodall of the Middle Section, which will be effective at the end of this year.
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met Monday and Tuesday this week to consider all 11 applicants for the Court of Criminal Appeals vacancy in the Middle Section. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the Council whittled the list down to three candidates.
According to a press release, Kim R. Helper and David Veile are being considered alongside Judge Ayers.
Judge Ayers is the only sitting judge of the three. Helper is the District Attorney General for the 21st Judicial District, which covers Williamson, Hickman, Lewis, and Perry Counties. Veile is a member attorney at Schell and Oglesby, LLC, a family law firm based out of Franklin, Tenn.
The Council has sent these three names to Governor Bill Lee for his consideration. Information on the applicants, including their application forms, is available on TNCourts.gov.