Friends of Judge Alex’s Finance Team Touts Strong Community Support and Fundraising Success with More Than $70,000 Raised at the End of Last Reporting Period

Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh, who was appointed to the bench in 2017 by former Gov. Bill Haslam, today announced he has formally launched his campaign to keep his position as judge of Hamilton County General Sessions Court, Division II.  Judge McVeagh will run in the nonpartisan election to be held on August 4, 2022.

To help support his election effort, supporters of Judge Alex McVeagh have come together to create the Friends of Judge finance team, which is comprised of business leaders, accountants, attorneys, contractors and realtors.  The finance team is chaired by former managing shareholder and current Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel attorney Mike St. Charles as well as Miller & Martin attorney, Marcy Eason.  The Friends of Judge Alex treasurer is former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Muecke Barker.

“I continue to be humbled by the amount of support I have received from my colleagues in the legal community, business and civic leaders, and citizens across Hamilton County,” stated McVeagh.  “I am committed to serving the citizens of this great county and carrying out my role as judge with fairness, compassion, accountability, and integrity.”

McVeagh continued, “This commitment is why I work hard every day in my courtroom to ensure our Constitution is protected and the rule of law is applied to the facts in every case.” 

The five divisions of the Hamilton County General Sessions Court preside over more than 60,000 criminal and civil cases every year.  Judge McVeagh was initially appointed to preside over Division II of General Sessions Court to succeed Judge David Bales, who went on medical leave to receive treatment for cancer.  Prior to the appointment, Judge McVeagh practiced criminal and civil litigation in state and federal courts in Tennessee and Georgia as an attorney at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel.  Judge McVeagh earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University and his Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt Law School. 

 “Judge Alex McVeagh was an outstanding lawyer at Chambliss and is a dedicated and compassionate public servant to the citizens of Hamilton County and Tennessee,” stated Mark Cunningham, healthcare attorney and current managing shareholder of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel. “His legal mind and talents were self-evident during his time at Chambliss, and I am proud to have him as a member of our judiciary.”

“The community’s support of Judge Alex is evidenced by the Friends of Judge Alex finance team raising over $70,000 at the close of the last reporting period,” stated finance co-chair Marcy Eason. “Now that he has an announced opponent, I know that Judge Alex’s supporters and finance team will work even harder in support of his campaign.”

Almost immediately after his appointment to the bench, Judge McVeagh collaborated with Criminal Court Judge and felony Drug Recovery Court Judge Tom Greenholtz to expand Hamilton County’s Drug Recovery Court to misdemeanor General Sessions Court.  After applying for and receiving a $500,000 grant from the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump, Judge McVeagh led the effort to create the General Sessions Drug Recovery Court with the first applicants accepted in 2018. 

Since then, the General Sessions Drug Recovery Court has saved Hamilton County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in incarceration and criminal recidivism costs – all while helping to reunite families, helping substance users become sober and productive members of society, and helping make our community safer.

“In addition to his legal abilities, Judge Alex is a perpetual public servant, having served on the boards and volunteered for great organizations like the YMCA’s Youth Community Action Program (Y-CAP) and Legal Aid of East Tennessee,” stated former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice and former Chambliss attorney Muecke Barker. “Judge Alex continues to serve others and our profession on the young lawyer boards of the Chattanooga, Tennessee and American Bar Associations, and was twice appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve as a Tennessee Access to Justice Commissioner.  In sum, Judge Alex is the real deal, and I look forward to continuing to help him retain his seat as judge of Division II of Hamilton County General Sessions Court.”