The 34 members of the Commission on the Future of the Tennessee Judicial System represent broad and diverse backgrounds and interests. We vary widely in age, sex, race, occupation, education, politics and virtually any other category.

We were asked to serve because the public believes the judicial system is too slow, too costly, too complex and too uneven. The Commission believes the public is right.

Over time, despite our diversity, we came to fundamental agreement on both broad responses to those problems and a greater vision for the future of the judicial systems:

The judicial system should aim to solve problems, which means more than processing cases.

It should aim to solve them at the lowest level possible, which means finding alternatives to courtroom resolution.

It should redirect its attention to the public it serves, which means better access, modern management and enhanced accountability.

Over almost two and a half years, the Commission held numerous public hearings and other meetings. This report relies heavily on the observations of the dozens of people who generously shared their wisdom and experience with us.

In many cases, our conclusions are matters of analysis and judgment, based on a preponderance of evidence, but not clearly provable one way or another. Often - and this is one measure of a failing within the judicial system - basic data are simply not available to quantify these judgments.

Not every recommendation had unanimous support within the commission, and we take note of a few differences within the report.

Still, remembering the divergent directions from which we began and noting that some suggestions would require substantial changes in the present system, we wish to emphasize that the vast majority of these proposals were adopted by the Commission without dissent.

Donald W. Bouldin
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Tennessee
Knoxville

Susan W. Bowen
President and CEO
Champion Awards Inc.
Memphis

Christine J. Bradley
Chief of Staff to the Mayor
Nashville

Melvin T. Burgess, Sr.
Retired, Director of Police Services
Memphis Police Department
Memphis

Charles W. Burson
Attorney General
State of Tennessee
Nashville

Lew Conner
Attorney
Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry
Nashville

Andrea Conte
President
"You Have the Power ?Know How to Use It, Inc."
Nashville
(Facilitator, Function Task Force)

Robert L. Crossley
Attorney
Long, Ragsdale & Waters
Knoxville

Frank F. Drowota, III
Justice
Tennessee Supreme Court
Nashville

Thomas F. Frist Jr., M.D.
Vice-Chairman of the Board
Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp.
Nashville

J. Kenneth Glass
President, Tennessee Banking Group
First Tennessee Bank National Association
Memphis

Michael A. Grant
G? Motivational Consultants
Nashville

Monice Moore Hagler
City Attorney
Memphis

John A. Jones
Editor-in-Chief, Johnson City Press,
and President, Press Holding Corp.
Johnson City

Joe Lancaster
CEO Emeritus
Tennessee Farmers Insurance Companies
Columbia

Lemuel Lewis
President
WTVF-TV - Channel 5
Nashville

John J. Maddux, Jr.
Circuit Court Judge
13th Judicial District
Cookeville

Judith P. Medearis
Circuit Court Clerk
Hamilton County
Chattanooga

James G. Neeley
President
Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council
Nashville

Paul Neely
Publisher
The Chattanooga Times
Chattanooga
(Chair, Writing Committee)

Clayburn L. Peeples
District Attorney General
28th Judicial District
Trenton
(Facilitator, Organization Task Force)

M. Lee Smith
Founder and Publisher
M. Lee Smith Publishers & Printers
Nashville
(Chair, Distribution Committee)

William B. Stokely, III
Chairman and President
The Stokely Company
Knoxville

Gary R. Wade
Judge
Court of Criminal Appeals
Knoxville

A. C. Wharton, Jr.
Chief Public Defender
Memphis

Jane W. Wheatcraft
Criminal Court Judge
18th Judicial District
Gallatin

Richard S. Wirtz
Dean and Professor of Law
University of Tennessee College of Law
Knoxville

Also participating in the work of the Commission have been two leading members of the General Assembly:

Likewise, while Justice Frank Drowota is the only member of the Supreme Court who is formally a member of the Commission, other members of the Court have been valuable participants in our deliberations.

The Commission gratefully acknowledges the assistance of three additional groups.

The Court Executive Team, which includes three Commission members, was instrumental in the organizational work of the Commission.

John J. Maddux, Jr., Chair
Circuit Court Judge
13th Judicial District
Cookeville

Cornelia A. Clark
Circuit Court Judge
21st Judicial District
Franklin

J. S. (Steve) Daniel
Circuit Court Judge
16th Judicial District
Murfreesboro

Frank F. Drowota, III
Justice
Tennessee Supreme Court

Charles E. Ferrell
Director
Administrative Office of the Courts
Nashville

C. Creed McGinley
Circuit Court Judge
24th Judicial District
Savannah

Gary R. Wade
Judge
Court of Criminal Appeals
Knoxville

The Working Group on Lawyer Education and Admission to the Bar conducted a parallel study that appears as an Appendix of the Commission report, but which should be considered an integral part of the Commission's work.

The group's members, chaired by Commission member Richard Wirtz, include the deans of the state's four law schools and the three present members and one former member of the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners.

Richard S. Wirtz, Chair
Dean, University of Tennessee College of Law
Knoxville

H. Lee Barfield, II
Bass, Berry and Sims
Nashville

Prince C. Chambliss, Jr.
Armstrong, Allen, Prewitt, Gentry, Johnston & Holmes
Memphis

John J. Costonis
Dean, School of Law
Vanderbilt University

Lewis R. Hagood
Arnett, Draper & Hagood
Knoxville

Lowry F. Kline
Miller & Martin
Chattanooga

Joe C. Loser, Jr.
Dean, Nashville School of Law

Donald J. Polden
Dean, Cecil L. Humphreys School of Law
University of Memphis

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