TN Supreme Court appoints judge for Judge Melissa Boyd’s criminal case
The Shelby County Criminal Court judge that was assigned to preside over Judge A. Melissa Boyd’s criminal case, which she was indicted for Tuesday, has recused herself from the case.
Judge Jennifer Mitchell, who sits on the Division 10 bench that neighbors Boyd’s Division 9 courtroom, was appointed to the case initially. She quickly recused herself from the case, signing a recusal order a day after the indictment was handed down.
Chief Justice Holly Kirby of the Tennessee Supreme Court appointed Judge Roy B. Morgan Jr. to hear the case “in the interest of the efficient and orderly administration of justice.”
Boyd was indicted Tuesday, and booked at the Shelby County Jail East facility, which is the women’s jail, Wednesday morning. She is charged with one count of coercion of a witness and one count of harassment.
The charges stem from allegations from Boyd’s former campaign manager made to the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct. Among those allegations were that Boyd used marijuana and cocaine and that she would show up to the campaign manager’s house late at night and verbally harass her.
That alleged harassment included Boyd telling the manager to “shut up” and to “not mess with her because she is a judge.” Boyd also would allegedly send information relating to a past marriage to the campaign manager.
Mitchell’s recusal is not the only one in this case. Prior to Boyd’s indictment, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy recused himself and his office from the case, referring it to the state’s DA’S conference to appoint a prosecutor.
Frederick Agee, district attorney general for Crockett, Gibson and Haywood counties, has been assigned the case as the pro-tem prosecutor.
Boyd has been in hot water recently over multiple accusations from the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct, which is a state-wide board that oversees judges. In May, Boyd received a public reprimand for asking for donations to benefit a school in a Facebook post that showed the judge wearing her judicial robe.
Then, in November, Boyd was referred to the Tennessee General Assembly for “further action” after the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct said she violated the conditions of a suspension order she has been under since late May.
Boyd was suspended from her position as a judge on May 23 after allegations of threatening “an acquaintance,” soliciting money by using her role as a judge and substance abuse were levied against her. Part of the agreement Boyd and the board struck was that any violation of the suspension order would result in the order being made public via a public reprimand.
Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.finton@commercialappeal.com, or (901)208-3922, and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lucasfinton.