The Tennessee judiciary is mourning the loss of Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge John Everett Williams, who passed away on September 2, 2022, at the age of 68.  He was appointed to the court by Governor Don Sundquist in November 1998, and was retained in elections in 2000, 2006, 2014 and 2022. In 2018, he was named presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, becoming the first judge from West Tennessee to hold that position in 25 years.

Judge Williams was from Huntingdon, where he practiced law for 17 years before being appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals. He served as chairperson of the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program for several years and was a strong advocate for the organization.

Judge Williams was well known for his colorful dress and bowties as well as summer seersucker suits. He was a longtime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He was also an established thespian, dazzling audiences at the Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center just last month.

The Tennessee judiciary extends its most heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Judge John Everett Williams at this time.

This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

Remembrances & Condolences:

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"What an honor and privilege to have known Judge John Everett Williams. To know him was to know a truly earnest human being. He served the judiciary for nearly 25 years and personified the words of Micah 6:8 “(t)o act justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with thy God”.  He will be remembered for his years of exemplary service to the State, his contributions to the judiciary and for being our “modern day version of a renaissance man” from Huntingdon, Tennessee. It is with a heavy heart that my prayers go out to his family, his colleagues and all who knew him.”
- Michelle Long, Director, Administrative Office of the Courts

"I had the great fortune to get to know Judge Williams during the years I worked at the Attorney General’s Office and argued often in the Court of Criminal Appeals. He was a judge who was always engaged in the moment and seemed to so enjoy the banter with his judicial colleagues and the attorneys. I will always remember the last oral argument I had before him in 2013. Just after opposing counsel and I finished our oral argument, we shook hands. Judge Williams stopped court and made a point of thanking opposing counsel and me for the civility and respect we showed to one another. He then spent the next few minutes talking to everyone in the courtroom about the importance of civility in the practice of law—and in life. To my great privilege, I was able to spend more time with Judge Williams and got to know a different side of him when I began working at the Administrative Office of the Courts. He became someone I routinely worked closely with, and we never missed an opportunity to chat about work and life. But Judge Williams never missed an opportunity to chat with anyone, and that is what I will remember him for—his sincerity, his warmth, and his interest in and respect of all people."
-Rachel Harmon, Deputy Director, Administrative Office of the Courts

"Judge John Everett Williams was a treasured friend and trusted mentor to so many in our State and beyond. He loved people, thought deeply about the hard and important questions in life, and lived each day to its fullest. I will always be grateful for the friendship Judge Williams extended after I joined the Court earlier this year. He was generous with his time and advice and quickly became one of my most cherished judicial colleagues. My prayers are with his family and all those who knew and loved him."

-Justice Sarah K. Campbell, Tennessee Supreme Court