General Sessions Judge Larry Warner is retiring upon completion of his term in August 2022. General sessions courts have limited jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases. Each county’s jurisdiction is determined by state laws and private acts. Because most of us only see the inside of a courtroom when called for jury duty or resolving a traffic ticket, we’ve collected info about the court and the candidates for your consideration! Watch the blog for updates about the other judicial races in the Upper Cumberland!
Criminal jurisdiction includes preliminary hearings in felony cases and misdemeanor trials in which a defendant waives the right to a grand jury investigation and trial by jury in Circuit or Criminal Court. Civil jurisdiction is restricted to specific monetary limits and types of actions. In Cumberland County, the General Sessions Judge also has Juvenile Court jurisdiction. By private act, Cumberland County’s General Sessions Judge is also judge for Probate and Family Court in the county. The act stipulates the court will have concurrent powers and jurisdiction with the Chancery Court and Circuit Court in some matters. Those matters are described at this website.
Reviewing the local newspaper provides some idea of the substantial volume of cases before the court. The judge’s docket is typically published at least weekly. Data collected by the both the Circuit Court Clerk and the County Clerk and Master demonstrates the general sessions court is extremely busy!
Over the last three years, the Cumberland County general sessions court annually averaged
- over 5000 criminal cases,
- 1800 civil cases,
- 3900 trooper tickets,
- 460 juvenile cases (civil and criminal) and
- 566 probate cases.
In 2019, the last pre-covid year, the court had a total of almost 16,000 cases!
Three Cumberland county attorneys have announced candidacy for the office.
Republican voters will choose between the three candidates on the May 3rd, 2022 primary ballot. Early voting will be April 13th – 28th. The primary winner will be on the August 4th general election ballot with early voting July 15-30th.
Private attorney, 2013-present
Crossville City judge, 2015-present
Follow Ivy Gardner Mayberry’s FB page.
⬇⬇ Check Out the Bios Submitted by the Three Announced Candidates ⬇ ⬇
Nathan Clouse
I moved to Crossville in 2000 after marrying my beautiful wife Barbara (Barbi) Wisdom. I was born and raised just down the road in Cookeville, TN. My wife and I have been blessed with three wonderful children: Dilana, Crecia and Tyler. They are ten, nine and seven respectively. We are members of Central Baptist Church where I have the honor of being a deacon since 2017. I enjoy serving in the church with involvement in several activities including teaching at VBS and Kids for Truth. For several years, my wife and I served in the Cumberland County Jaycees. I also had the distinct honor of serving on the board of directors for Crossville Christian School and Jonah’s Joy. I am currently coaching on the soccer field with CRYSA for my second season. I am an avid bad golfer and spend most of my free time doing family activities with my 3 active children.
I have a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in accounting from Tennessee Technological University. I started my professional career in 1997 as a tax accountant. I worked in the accounting profession until 2006 when I started a career in banking with Cumberland County Bank. During my time in the accounting and banking profession, I learned the ability to analyze complex financial situations, understand and navigate the waters of federal rules and regulations, and to deal with individuals in all facets of life. From 2003 to 2008, I was co-owner and operator of TCBY.
My professional life took a turn after becoming a foster parent in 2010. God put a burden on my heart to do more for children and sent me down the path of becoming an attorney. I started law school in August of 2011. While attending law school, I continued working full time and raising our family. I graduated from Nashville School of Law in May 2015. After passing the bar exam, I opened my law office on November 1, 2015. Since opening my law office, I have practiced in criminal, family, juvenile, probate, real estate, contract, business and tort law.
The General Sessions Judge for Cumberland County is responsible for all matters in the General Sessions Court, Probate and Family Court as well as Juvenile Court. Approximately seventy percent of this position deals with probate, family and juvenile law. This would include divorces, custody proceedings, termination of parental rights, Department of Children Services and juvenile delinquent offenses. The remainder of the Judge’s time in court is dealing with contract disputes, tort claims and misdemeanor crimes. The Judge is also responsible for managing several staff members and working with the budget approved by the County Commission.
I believe that my passion for the children and families of this community, experience in ALL areas of law that this position is responsible for, and my business background would make me the best candidate for the position. The citizens of Cumberland County can have faith that I will do what is right for the families in our community and be fair to all those that appear before me.
Ivy Gardner Mayberry
Ivy Gardner Mayberry is a local attorney and the Crossville City Judge. Ivy is a lifelong resident of Cumberland County and is the daughter of Butch and Joan Gardner. Ivy is married to Nick Mayberry, of Crossville, and they have three beautiful, active children: Preston, Knox, and Sophie. They attend Linary Church of Christ.
Mayberry attended Cumberland University to play women’s basketball. She graduated from the Labry School of Business with a Bachelor’s in Marketing in May 2006. Ivy was the first recipient of the Jack E. Forrest Marketing Award. She began working for the CU Athletic Department after graduation and received her Master’s in Business Administration in 2007. During her years at Cumberland, Ivy was named to the Dean’s List, National Dean’s List, Who’s Who Among America’s Colleges and Universities, and she was named as a Collegiate All-American Scholar in 2006. Most recently, Mayberry was awarded the Labry School of Business Alumni of the Year Award, in 2021, recognizing her leadership and dedication towards community efforts and her profession.
Ivy received her law degree from Lincoln Memorial University – Duncan School of Law in 2013. She was a graduate of the inaugural class at DSOL and played an important role in the beginning stages of the school. While at DSOL, Ivy was named President of the Moot Court Board, founded the Women of the Law Society and was named President, served as a Student Bar Association Senator, and was a member of the Federalist Society. Ivy competed on a national level with several Moot Court teams capturing awards for her legal brief writing abilities at all competitions.
After graduation, Mayberry opened her own law practice in October 2013 which she still owns and operates today. Mayberry’s firm handles appellate, criminal, family, juvenile, and estate law. Ivy also joined the Federal bar in October 2019. This has allowed her to expand her ability to protect the Constitutional rights of her clients. Ivy has been recognized by the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility for her outstanding commitment to indigent clients and pro bono legal work in 2019 and 2020.
Mayberry is in her fourth term as Crossville City Judge and Administrative Hearing Officer. After her appointment in 2015, Ivy soon recognized that citizens did not need to miss work over a City Court citation and implemented a night court docket. Having a morning and night docket allows individuals to choose which works best for their schedule and has drastically improved attendance. During court shutdowns due to COVID-19, Mayberry was able to think outside the box and continued having court via drive thru which has allowed the Court to stay current and not back logged like most other courts in the State.
Ivy’s public service is obvious with her years of commitment to the betterment of this community. Mayberry is a founding member of Organized Love, a non-profit organization focusing on the foster and underprivileged children in Cumberland County. Ivy was also a founding member of the local Young Professionals Alliance. She is a strong advocate for our emergency service workers and co-organizes the annual Back the Blue day showing the community’s appreciation for several hundred of our local heroes. Ivy has been instrumental as a previous board member for other local charity organizations, including Good Samaritans, CSW Foundation, and Kids on the Rise. Ivy is currently the President of the Stone Memorial Basketball Booster Club. She has volunteered numerous hours coaching youth sports teams over the years to allow the younger generation the opportunity to be active and have positive role models in their community. Ivy always strives to do her part to be at the forefront of creating a greater community for all residents of Cumberland County.
Ivy’s diverse background, knowledge of the law, love for the law, and her ability to seek justice for all will be invaluable in her role as your General Sessions Judge. She will abide by the Constitution and laws of the land but will do so with common sense and some compassion. Mayberry is a proven community leader and active public servant. She will continue to find and develop solutions for people in crisis situations and work with community leaders to better Cumberland County. You can have confidence that the system will work as intended and Cumberland County will be a safer place with Ivy Gardner Mayberry elected as General Sessions Judge.
Amanda Worley
Amanda Worley, Republican, is seeking the position of General Sessions Judge, currently held by the Honorable Larry Warner, who will not be seeking reelection.
Worley is a Crossville native, who currently serves as an Assistant District Attorney in the 13th Judicial District. She has served in this role for nearly 14 years since graduating from Nashville School of Law, obtaining her Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 2007.
She is a proven prosecutor, handling thousands of cases in Juvenile, General Sessions, and Criminal Courts. She has conducted jury trials concerning Homicide, Rape of a Child, Rape, Burglary, DUI, and Drugs. She is a strong constitutional originalist and believes in conservative judicial principles.
“One of the most important roles of a judge is an understanding of the rules of evidence and the ability to apply them in difficult situations, which I have done during numerous trials and motion hearings. I have stood up for those who have been wronged and victims of crimes” said Worley, and “I want to bring that experience to the General Sessions Bench, where consistent application of justice will be the key to the safety of your family and mine.”
Worley was also grateful to be involved in bringing the first “Facility Dog” to the 13th Judicial District. Facility dogs can accompany witnesses, especially children, to the witness stand to comfort them as they testify. Worley has completed numerous trainings including those concerning Adverse Childhood Experiences. She looks forward to using that knowledge to help our General Sessions Courts become more trauma informed. One such possibility is with the creation of child friendly spaces for child witnesses and spaces to keep victims of crimes in a separate area from their alleged offenders.
Worley was honored to be elected as Chairman of the Cumberland County Republican Party in 2019 and was elected as Secretary of the Cumberland County Republican Women’s Club in 2017. Both positions she held until 2021, when stepping down to begin her campaign for General Sessions Judge. Additionally, Worley is on the Board of Directors for the Fair Park Senior Center.
Amanda resides in Crossville with her husband, Travis and daughter Sophia. She is the proud step-mother to Ethan Worley, a recent high school graduate.