Senate panel restores Shelby County judgeships but rejects Lamar's amendment to split posts

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to recommend SB 846 to the calendar after approving a finance amendment that restores two judgeships to Shelby County and, per the amendment, allocates both to criminal court.

Sponsor Sen. Taylor said the change responds to the caseload generated by the Memphis Safe Task Force and data showing a large backlog of criminal cases. "With the Memphis Safe Task Force... there is a tremendous amount of judicial action," the sponsor said, arguing the additional criminal-court capacity is needed now.

Sen. Lamar offered a competing finance amendment to restore the preexisting distribution (one circuit, one criminal) and said the judges asked him to propose that change: "My amendment . . . will restore the court as it was before we took away the court. . . one judge allocated to circuit court as it was before and one to criminal court," he said.

The sponsor declined to accept Lamar's change as friendly, and Lamar moved his amendment under the committee rules; that motion was then subject to a tabling motion from other members and the tabling motion prevailed, cutting off further debate on Lamar's proposal. Members debated policy and data: Lamar argued circuit court backlogs persist and a circuit judge is needed, while the sponsor said criminal judges are the urgent need.

After debate the committee voted to recommend SB 846 as amended; the clerk announced the tally as nine ayes with one no and one present. The bill will move to the calendar committee for floor consideration.