October 26, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
The county commission Monday night will consider appointing three judicial commissioners to serve for the next year.
The commission will meet in regular monthly session October 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse.
A judicial committee recently met and recommended three persons for the appointments including Harvey Barnes and current judicial commissioners Tammy Ashburn and Joy Whitman. Two others applied, Boyd Cantrell and current judicial commissioner Richard Jennings.
The judicial committee is made up of Sheriff Patrick Ray, County Mayor Tim Stribling, Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin, General Sessions/Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II, and Assistant District Attorney General Stephanie Johnson.
Judicial commissioners are responsible for the issuance of criminal arrest warrants upon finding probable cause. They are subject to call at all hours of the day and night. Judicial commissioners serve at the pleasure of the county commission and their terms of office can be one year to four years. These three judicial commissioners serve one year terms. Each of them are on call 24 hours a day for one week and then are off for two weeks.