Attorney running for local judgeship

Chattanooga attorney Michele Coffman is joining the race to become Hamilton County’s newest Circuit Court judge, the lawyer announced Tuesday on the steps of the County Courthouse.

Coffman has practiced law in Hamilton County for 23 years, she said, all of them during the tenure of outgoing Circuit Court Judge Marie Williams.

Williams announced earlier this year she plans to retire in January after 28 years on the bench.

“She will be leaving a great legacy, one which I plan to build upon through my years of experience in state, federal and juvenile court along with my vast experience in helping to mediate and resolve cases,” Coffman said during a news conference Tuesday.

General Sessions Judge Alex McVeagh said last week he also plans to run for Williams’ seat. McVeagh has been a judge since his appointment in 2017.

Both Coffman and McVeagh are seeking the Republican nomination for the position, meaning they’ll face off in the primary election in March. Whoever wins the Republican ticket will advance to the August general election.

All of the judges now in partisan positions in Hamilton County — which include judges in Circuit, Criminal, Juvenile and Chancery courts — are Republicans, election records show.

Circuit Court deals mainly with civil cases including divorces, child custody and business disputes, including real estate and financial investments.

“I sat, myself, up in this court as a young child during my parents’ divorce and got to talk to a judge,” Coffman said Tuesday. “That not only fueled me to want to become a judge, but also taught me that judges can and do make a difference.”

As a conservative and a Christian, Coffman said she will focus on upholding the sanctity of marriage and parents’ rights to determine how to raise their children. Circuit Court often asks parents in domestic cases to make a parenting plan, Coffman said.

“It will be my honor to adhere to the principles and apply the wisdoms found in our great Constitution,” she said. “Our Tennessee laws were formed on the same conservative principles. I plan to apply the laws as they were originally formed.”