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Andrea Klene, newly appointed Knox County Sessions Court judge, outlines background and asks for voters' support
Summary
Andrea Klene, appointed by the Knox County Commission last December, introduced herself as Knox County's newest Sessions Court judge, described her 25-year prosecutorial career and elder-abuse work (including establishing a special prosecution unit), and said she is running for election, asking for community support.
Andrea Klene, who said she was appointed by the Knox County Commission last December, introduced herself as the newest Knox County Sessions Court judge and asked for voters' support, saying, "I'm honored to be serving as your newest sessions court judge."
Klene laid out her legal background and priorities, noting she graduated from the University of Tennessee, finished law school in 1995 and began a career that included private practice and work representing indigent defendants. "I began my legal career in private practice where I did some civil work, domestic cases," she said, and later accepted an appointment as an assistant district attorney general in 2000.
She described a 25-year prosecutorial tenure focused largely on DUI cases and on crimes affecting older adults. Klene said she helped build what she described as the state's first elder-abuse special prosecution unit and "helped draft brand new legislation that greatly increased protections for elderly and vulnerable adults throughout our state," which she said is currently in effect.
Klene explained the role and scope of Sessions Court in Knox County, saying the system includes five courtrooms (four criminal, one civil) that handle matters ranging from traffic offenses to landlord-tenant disputes and small claims. She emphasized the need for judges to bring a broad base of legal knowledge to manage both criminal and civil dockets.
On courtroom conduct and case management, Klene pledged to be "prepared, efficient, respectful, and fair," to "protect constitutional rights and ensure due process for every person who comes into the court," and to issue prompt rulings that avoid unnecessary delay and cost. She said a judge must value time in court without rushing cases and stressed that "the rule of law must stand above personal opinion, public pressure, and politics."
Concluding her remarks, Klene stated she is running for election to continue serving as Sessions Court judge and closed by asking for the community's support: "I respectfully ask for your support and your vote as I continue... I run to continue serving in this role."
