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A resolution honoring the life of former Davidson County General Sessions and Circuit Court Judge Barbara Jean Norman Haynes.
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WHEREAS, retired Judge Barbara Jean Norman Haynes passed away on January 13, 2022 at the age of 84; and
WHEREAS, Judge Haynes was born on September 6, 1937 and was a native Nashvillian, growing up in North Nashville, Bordeaux, and eventually Inglewood where she attended Isaac Litton High School; and
WHEREAS, she was the first person in her family to attend college and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1959, where she also met her husband of 58 years, Joe Mann Haynes; and
WHEREAS, Judge Haynes became a secretary at her husband’s new law practice and ultimately went on to follow in his footsteps and attended law school; and
WHEREAS, Judge Haynes attended the Nashville School of Law and graduated at the top of her class in 1976, subsequently joining her husband at his law practice in North Nashville and then Goodlettsville where they made their home; and
WHEREAS, after practicing law for five years, Judge Haynes decided to run for General Sessions Court Judge and won, becoming the first woman to serve in the position, serving from 1982 to 1990; and
WHEREAS, in 1986, Governor Lamar Alexander appointed Judge Haynes as Chair of the Tennessee Sentencing Commission, a position she held until 1994; and
WHEREAS, in 1990, Judge Haynes was elected Circuit Court Judge where she served until her retirement from the bench in 2011; and
WHEREAS, in 2004, Governor Phil Bredesen appointed her chair of a task force for the purpose of immediately studying the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Blakely v. Washington and recommending changes to Tennessee’s sentencing laws to remove the constitutional infirmities of the statute; and
WHEREAS, Judge Haynes was an active member of the community and championed women’s issues, winning numerous honors for her efforts including her induction into the YWCA’s Academy for Women of Achievement, being named the Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women’s “Woman of the Year” in 1989, and winning the Tennessee Bar Association’s award for outstanding judicial service in 2010; and
WHEREAS, Judge Haynes was also a founder of the Lawyers’ Association for Women and made a point of trying to hire female clerks; and
WHEREAS, as Judge, Haynes was known for her fairness and compassion, her signature red robes, having fresh flowers in her courtroom, and singing Christmas carols on the jail docket; and
WHEREAS, Judge Haynes was a trailblazer who served on the bench for a total of 29 years, presiding with both wisdom and common sense; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council honors the life of Judge Barbara Haynes and recognizes her immeasurable contributions to Nashville and the state of Tennessee.
NOW, TEHREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan Council hereby goes on record as honoring the life of former Davidson County General Sessions and Circuit Court Judge Barbara Jean Norman Haynes.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.