HUNTINGDON (September 2, 2022) John Everett Williams, 68, a member of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals died Friday while on a trip out west.
Williams was a resident of Huntingdon, grew up in Huntingdon and McKenzie, and had one son, J, and a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
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.
Just two weeks earlier, he was entertaining/educating people about the late Governor Hawkins. He portrayed Hawkins in an event at the Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center. He, W. Kent Jones, and 'Gus' Radford told stories as part of the bicentennial celebrations of Huntingdon and the county of Carroll.
Williams was recently reconfirmed to the Court of Criminal Appeals by the voters of the state of Tennesssee. He was one of only a few rural judges to that court.
He was a memer of the Brotherhood of Magicians, learning some of his skills from the late Curtis "Red" Summers of McKenzie.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
Career history:
Previous Employment
Private practice, Williams & Williams Attorneys at Law, Huntingdon, TN 1981-98
Education
Cumberland School of Law, 1981
B.S., (criminal justice) University of Tennessee at Martin
Membership(s)
Tennessee Bar Association, Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association; Carroll County Bar Association past president 1981-84; Huntingdon Jaycees’ Outstanding Chairperson
Community Involvement
Huntingdon Lion’s Club past president 1991-92; American Heart Association; American Cancer Society; American Red Cross; Carroll County Habitat for Humanity, Carroll County Ducks Unlimited;
Mc Kenzie, TN
