On Thursday, March 14, 2024, ABC24 reported that a Tennessee General Assembly joint committee voted unanimously to remove Shelby County Judge A. Melissa Boyd from office.
The recommendation to remove Judge Boyd came from the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct in December 2023 after she had been suspended from her role for nearly a year. Before Judge Boyd can officially be removed, the speakers of the House and Senate must set a date for a joint convention with at least 10 days notice. At the convention, the committee will present the case for removal and Judge Boyd will have an opportunity to present a defense. A final vote by the joint convention will then determine if Judge Boyd is removed from office.
The calls for Judge Boyd’s suspension and removal are in part due to incidents in 2023 where she reportedly admitted to using cocaine while serving as a judge. She was also charged that year with coercing and harassing her former campaign manager. As a result, Judge Boyd has been suspended from her judicial duties since May 2023 and received two public reprimands from the Board of Judicial Conduct.
Judge Boyd’s term was set to end in August 2030 after she was appointed to Criminal Court Division 9 in August 2022. However, she now faces removal from that position. In December 2023, Judge Boyd was indicted for allegedly coercing her former campaign manager to falsely testify or withhold truthful testimony during an investigation by the Board of Judicial Conduct between November 2022 and March 2023. She was also charged with harassment during that same time period for allegedly communicating with someone without a lawful purpose in a manner intended to annoy, offend, alarm, or frighten them.
If removed by the joint convention vote, this would mark the end of Judge Boyd’s short time on the bench in Shelby County. The calls for her suspension and now removal stem from a series of incidents that drew significant scrutiny to her conduct and fitness to serve as a judge.
Source: ABC24
