House Judiciary Committee gives positive recommendation to Judge Stacy Street

The House Judiciary Committee voted to send a positive recommendation to the full Tennessee House for Judge Stacy Street’s nomination to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Eastern Section. Representative Alexander moved the recommendation and the clerk recorded 19 ayes, 0 nos.

Representative Hicks introduced Street’s nomination, citing his education at East Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee College of Law, “more than 20 years of experience in criminal defense across Northeast Tennessee,” work in federal court, and extensive trial experience — including more than 50 homicide trials and service as lead co-counsel on 12 capital cases. Hicks said Street “is a no nonsense judge who believes in accountability and personal responsibility.”

Judge Street answered committee questions about evidence, the Fourth Amendment and sentencing. He described presiding over evidentiary hearings when evidence was seized without an adequate warrant and said, “In some cases, it was seized with a search warrant, but the search warrant was faulty for some reason ... and I was required by law to exclude that evidence.” He told members that exclusion of improperly obtained evidence sometimes forced dismissals, and at other times the prosecution could proceed on independent evidence.

On sentencing, Street told lawmakers that judges rely on the trial record, pre-sentence reports and individual circumstances, and said mandatory minimums can constrain individualized sentencing. Multiple members praised his leadership of regional recovery courts and his attention to opioid and fentanyl-related matters.

The committee’s positive recommendation now goes to the full Tennessee House for a final confirmation vote.