By federal statute, Magistrate Judges are appointed by a majority of the U.S. District Judges in each judicial district for a renewable term of eight years. Magistrate Judges must meet specified eligibility criteria, including at least five years as a member in good standing of a state's or territory’s highest court bar. They also must be vetted by a merit selection panel that consists of lawyers and non-lawyers from the community. Below is a list of the Magistrate Judges who have served or currently serve the Middle District of Tennessee.
Sandidge, Kent III (1972 - 1995)
Haynes, William Joseph Jr. (1984 - 1999)
- District Judge (1999 - 2017)
Griffin, Juliet (1995 - 2015)
Brown, Joe B. (1998 - 2006)
- On Recall (2006 - 2019)
- Nashville Bar Association Oral History, Oct. 17, 2011
Knowles, Emmitt Clifton (2000 - 2016)
Bryant, John S. (2006 - 2016)
Holmes, Barbara D. (2015 - present)
Newbern, Alistair E. (2016 - present)
Frensley, Jeffrey S. (2016 - present)