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Teresa Murray Smith has announced that she is seeking the position of Municipal Judge of Elizabethton in the November 5 election.

A native of Elizabethton, Smith is the daughter of the late Harry (Sonny) Murray and Sarah R. Murray. She was educated in Elizabethton City Schools, graduating from Elizabethton High School in 1971. Smith attended East Tennessee State University, graduating with honors in 1975, and then attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, graduating in the winter of 1977.

Smith practiced law in Elizabethton for a few months before accepting a position with the District Attorney General’s Office under the leadership of the Honorable Lewis May, who was at that time the District Attorney. She continued in that office until the summer of 1989 when she accepted a position with the District Attorney General’s Office in Sullivan County. Smith remained there until she retired in 2008 after nearly 30 years of service. During that time she tried all manner of cases from simple traffic violators to first-degree murder cases.

Smith also taught law enforcement officers and Dept. of Children’s Services caseworkers in legal issues and practices of their respective jobs. After retirement, Smith began practicing law in Blountville with Ricky A. W. Curtis, another former Assistant District Attorney, for a period of time until she decided to retire again.

She and her husband, Lanny D. Smith, then made the decision to return to Elizabethton in 2014 and began remodeling her parents’ home in the Southside Community where she continues to reside. Unfortunately, Lanny died suddenly in 2020.

Smith has kept her law license in good standing, but has not maintained a law office. “I occasionally draft legal documents, such as deeds, powers of attorney and the like for family and friends,” Smith shared.

Smith served as City Judge in 2020 after some of the city’s leaders advised her of several embarrassing events that had occurred recently. “The most important aspect of the job of a City Judge is to not only uphold the law, but hold themselves accountable to that law they swear to uphold. No matter how significant or insignificant, great or small we might perceive the law to be, it is our sworn duty to obey and uphold that law. Imagine the embarrassment to the City and the judge’s office if it were determined that a sitting judge was in fact, in violation of those very laws they were to enforce and uphold. Consider the confusion and chaos that could and would occur in the judicial system if such a judicial suspension were to occur. The court cases that would be affected, the inconvenience and burden to other judges, those presenting their voices before the court having to take time off from their personal responsibilities to appear, only to have to reschedule due to this irresponsibility,” said Smith in making her election announcement.

“Unfortunately, these situations have happened, and this is why some City Leaders approached me to run for office once again. These requirements that judges are to meet are not onerous or overbearing, such things as continued education courses, which are available online, and following the plain instructions of the City Code by stepping down if you have a second job with the City, are quite manageable; even if we might think them unnecessary, we are still obligated to obey that law or ordinance. This is the situation that has been brought to my attention and this is my reason for stepping into the political arena once again,” Smith shared.

Smith has appeared before numerous judges in her experience as an attorney, which has given her the knowledge of how to conduct a court efficiently, holding court on time scheduled and 

treating all persons appearing in the court with courtesy. “This is what the citizens of this community expect of public officials and deserve when they entrust such an office to someone by their election. This is the reason I decided to again seek this office and ask for your vote and support,” said Smith.

 

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