The Jackson City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday, Nov. 3, on who will fill the vacant city court judge seat, with four applicants still in the running after Mark Patey withdrew his application.
The four applicants
According to WBBJ's report on the council's public interviews, the remaining applicants are:
- Caroline Ballentine, an assistant public defender
- J. Colin Morris, a Jackson-based attorney
- Nathan Pride, an attorney and former circuit court judge
- Kortney Simmons, a family and civil defense attorney
Patey, a former Madison County General Sessions Court judge, had been suspended by the Board of Judicial Conduct in April, WBBJ reported, which complicated his eligibility.
How the vote will work
At a Thursday preview of the agenda, Mayor Scott Conger said the council set up a special runoff process that requires five votes to win. "We'll go potentially through several rounds of voting," Conger said. Eight council members were expected to attend. Because the council is the appointing body, the interviews had no public question period, but public comments are being accepted at the meeting where the vote will be taken.
Why it matters
The seat has been vacant, which is why the council set up the application and interview process. Raw 100.5 will report who is chosen once the vote is complete.
Sources: WBBJ, NBC 39, City of Jackson