Commission appoints Taylor Bachelor to fill Shelby County General Sessions vacancy

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Taylor Bachelor as judge for General Sessions Court, Division 7, filling the vacancy effective March 1, 2025. Commissioners conducted a roll-call nomination process under Rule 35, narrowed a field of more than a dozen candidates through successive votes, and confirmed Bachelor by majority acclamation.

The appointment followed public comment urging judicial independence and careful application of bail. Josh Spickler, executive director of Just City, told the commission: "Today, things are headed in the exact opposite direction," arguing that recent changes in bail practice had increased pretrial detention and worsened jail conditions. After the vote the appointee addressed the commission: "To God be the glory for the things he has done," Bachelor said, pledging to serve the community humbly.

The commission began the nomination roll with District 8 and proceeded in numerical order, per the rules read on the floor. Several commissioners praised the quality of the candidate pool and described the selection as difficult because multiple well-qualified applicants sought the position. The commission recorded the elimination rounds and a final roll-call; the clerk announced the results and commissioners accepted the outcome by voice vote.

The appointment completes an internal process described by the parliamentary officer earlier in the meeting. The selection will remain effective until a successor is elected and qualified at the August 2026 countywide general election, as the sponsoring resolution states.