Retiring Justice Barker swears in successor

Retiring Chief Justice William M. Barker, will administer the oath of office at 2 p.m. at the Supreme Court Building to incoming Chief Justice Janice M. Holder, who was elected by the Court to serve a two-year term. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in December 1996 and was elected in 1998 to a full eight-year term. In 2006, she was reelected to a second eight-year term.

Justice Janice M. Holder, the third woman in the state's history to serve on the Supreme Court of Tennessee, will become the first woman ever to serve as its chief justice when she is sworn into office.

"I am grateful to my colleagues on the court for their votes of confidence and look forward to working with them as we continue our efforts to bolster the public's trust and confidence in the judiciary," Holder said. "I have the highest respect for the court's intellectual integrity, enthusiasm, work ethic, and commitment to the law and public service."

Chief Justice Willliam Barker delays his retirement

Tennessee's Supreme Court Chief Justice, William M. Barker, will remain on the bench until Sept. 15, two weeks later than his original retirement date, so that the court will have its full five members for a Knoxville docket on Sept. 3, he said today.

"When I notified the governor in early May of my intended retirement on Sept. 1, I had hoped that would allow enough time for the selection process to be completed before the court heard cases in Knoxville," he said. "However, the Judicial Selection Commission willh= not be able to meet until Aug. 18 to evaluate applicants for the Supreme Court and recommend three names to the governor. That close time frame, coupled with the Labor Day holiday, convinced me that I need to be available to sit with the court."

Barker said he discussed the decision with the governor's office and "he agrees with my decision to postpone my retirement for two weeks."