The retirement of Rutherford County Circuit Court Judge Royce Taylor in March 2020 opens up a vacancy on the bench in Rutherford and Cannon counties. 

That's why the Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court Judge in the 16th Judicial District.

Qualified applicants must be licensed attorneys who are at least 30 years of age, have been residents of the state for five years, and are residents of the 16th Judicial District.

Interested applicants must complete the Trial Court Vacancy Commission Application, which is available at www.tncourts.gov, and submit it to the Administrative Office of the Courts by noon CST on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. Each candidate must submit by the deadline the original signed (unbound) as well as a digital copy of the application in order to have his/her name placed on the list of candidates for the judicial vacancy for which he/she is applying. Complete application instructions are at www.TNCourts.gov.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, at 9 a.m. CST at the Historic Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro to consider the applicants.

The meeting will include a public hearing, during which anyone may express their opinions in opposition to the applicants. The Commission is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward three names to Governor Lee for his consideration.

For more information, visit tncourts.gov/administration/judicial-resources.

Taylor has served as a judge in Rutherford County since he was appointed to the bench in 1998.

A 1966 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, he served in the US Navy for six years as an underwater demolition SEAL team member and eventually retired from the Naval Reserve with the rank of captain.

After his active duty service, Taylor earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1975 from the University of Tennessee. He practiced in Murfreesboro for 23 years before becoming a judge.