Members of the DeKalb County Bar Association presented State Supreme Court Justice Cornelia "Connie" Clark a resolution declaring the association’s support in the existing justice’s bid to be retained on the court. Voters statewide will have a choice to retain or replace Clark, as well as Sharon Lee and Gary Wade, as justices on the Aug. 7 ballot.

The justices paid a visit to the DeKalb County Courthouse Thursday. Local Attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. told the assembly that he had been contacted by former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell about setting up a meeting between the justices and members of the DeKalb bar association.

"Bill asked me to set up this meeting with Justice Clark and others," Parsley said. "I explained to him that the bar here, I felt, was all for retention. I also felt that it was a shame that politics was getting involved in it, and that we have some folks who, just because they disagree with an opinion that you give in a case, that was their reason for getting rid of you. I feel that we need to have justices who are fair and impartial and follow the law, and that's what I feel like Connie Clark and the others have done."

"There are persons inside Tennessee and persons and interest money from outside Tennessee that have decided that they would like for judges to be chosen or retained on the basis of things other than the oath that we take," Clark said. "I can't promise that I will fix your tickets. I can't promise that any case that you bring into my court will be decided in your favor. I can promise you really just one thing, and that is that I will uphold the oath that I have taken, the oath which says that I will obey and enforce the laws of this state, the Constitutions of this state and of the United States. That's a very simple and narrow thing, but it's also a very broad and all-encompassing thing. Partisan politics has no place in the courtroom. I'm not a politician but I'm pretty sure I know that you want fair and impartial courts like I do and above all things that justice is not for sale in Tennessee."

The resolution, presented by General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge and President of the DeKalb County Bar Association, Bratten Hale Cook, II, read:

"The DeKalb County Bar Association recognizes the importance of a fair and impartial judiciary, and the need for ensuring that the elections of Appellate Court Judges in the State of Tennessee are exercised in a manner that maintains the fairness and impartiality of the courts. Therefore, the DeKalb County Bar Association hereby resolves to officially support the retention of the judges on the Tennessee Supreme Court in the August 7, 2014 judicial retention elections, as recommended by the Tennessee Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission."

"Therefore, be it resolved that the DeKalb County Bar Association encourages its members to vote in favor of the retention of the Supreme Court Justices in the August 7, 2014 judicial election and further encourages the citizens of DeKalb County to vote accordingly."