Legal Ethics
Circuit Court Judge Waits 11 Years to Rule on Case
A Shelbyville, Tenn. judge was reprimanded by state disciplinary authorities for “excessive delay” this week because he waited nearly 11 years to rule on a case.
Circuit Court Judge F. Lee Russell took the case involving a complaint against Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. under advisement in 1999 and didn’t rule on the matter until this October, reports the Associated Press.
The Tennessee Court of the Judiciary (PDF) sent a letter of reprimand to the judge Monday.
The reprimand noted that Russell issued a proper ruling—10 years and 11 months after the initial bench trial—only after he’d been alerted he was facing discipline.
Last updated Dec. 2 to add more detail about the reprimand.
