July 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
Cookeville attorney Wesley Bray has been appointed by Governor Bill Lee to succeed David Patterson as criminal court judge in the 13th Judicial District
Patterson retired from the bench June 30th.
“Wesley brings extensive experience to this role and will serve the 13th district with integrity,” said Lee. “We welcome him to this role and appreciate his willingness to serve.”
Bray has been a solo practitioner for 14 years with experience in criminal and civil proceedings. Additionally, he is a Rule 31 family mediator with a focus on divorce and family law issues. Bray is a graduate of Nashville School of Law and Tennessee Tech University.
He resides in Cookeville with his wife of 17 years, Ashley, and their three children.
Bray is one of four people who initially applied with the Trial Court Vacancy Commission to be recommended for the appointment along with Rebecca Brady and J. Michael Shipman of Cookeville, and Jeffrey A. Vires of Crossville. The commission recently interviewed the candidates and submitted to the Governor the names of Brady, Bray, and Shipman for consideration.
Bray will serve until a special election in 2020. The winner of that election will serve the remaining years of Patterson’s unexpired term which ends on August 31, 2022.
In 2014, Bray sought the Republican nomination for Criminal Court Judge, Part I but lost to Gary McKenzie in the May Primary by a final count of 7,819 to 6,883. Bray carried six of the seven counties in the 13th judicial district but lost to McKenzie in Cumberland County. McKenzie went on to defeat his Democratic opponent William Fred Roberson in the 2014 August General Election. McKenzie succeeded veteran Democratic Judge Leon Burns, Jr. who decided not to seek re-election.