Jeff Peach, the attorney who represents the Town of Smyrna, has decided to run for the Circuit Court Judge position currently held by the Honorable Mark Rogers who represents both Cannon and Rutherford Counties. WGNS spoke to Peach on Thursday and he told us...
Peach resigned as the GOP Chair to run for judge.
Complete Details Submitted to WGNS Below:
Jeffrey L. Peach proudly, yet humbly, announces his candidacy for Circuit Court Judge, Division 1; for the 16th Judicial District; which includes the good citizens of Rutherford and Cannon County. Peach has spent nearly 25 years as a public servant in an array of professional fields. He began his public service as an EMT with the Maury County Ambulance Service and then worked as a Deputy with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. Peach became the first full time D.A.R.E./ Neighborhood Watch Coordinator for Rutherford County and taught the curriculum to hundreds of elementary school children within the community. In 1996, Peach was fortunate to be able to serve the citizens of Smyrna as a Police Officer and continued teaching the D.A.R.E. program and Neighborhood Watch. The last decade of Peach’s law enforcement career was spent in the Detective Division, in which he investigated property crimes, crimes against persons and assisted the vice unit. In addition to his duties within the Police Department, he was also assigned as an Arson Investigator for the Smyrna Fire Department. During his career in Law Enforcement, Peach was recognized as the Officer of the Week by radio station W.G.N.S. and also received an award from the Special Agent In Charge (for Tennessee) of the FBI due to his work with the federal agency.
Jeffrey L. Peach attended Nashville School of Law and was elected to the Honor Council during his full time law enforcement employment and ultimately, transferred from the Police Department to the Office of the Town Attorney for the Town of Smyrna. Since 2008, Peach has represented the Town of Smyrna as in-house counsel; representing the municipality in litigation, serving as legal counsel to public boards and Town Council, serving as Prosecutor in the Municipal Court and other legal supervision of Town operations. Additionally, in the private sector, Peach is also a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Mediator and has conducted countless numbers of mediations for Divorce and/or Child Custody within Rutherford, Cannon, Bedford and Davidson Counties. He is a member of the Rutherford/ Cannon County and Tennessee Bar, admitted to practice in the Courts of Tennessee and the United States District Court of Tennessee/ Middle District as well as a member of the International Municipal Lawyers Association, Tennessee-Mediation organization and the Tennessee Municipal Attorney Association, of which he served upon the organization’s constitutional revision committee.
Notwithstanding the public service of his professional employment history, Jeffrey L. Peach has also sought serving the Rutherford community by teaching CPR and other lifesaving courses for the American Red Cross, volunteered with the Wills for Heroes program and coaching with One Goal Sports. Peach has been active with the Rutherford County Republican Party, serving first as a member and delegate for the County Convention. Several years ago, he was elected by the Executive Committee of the political party to the position of Director At-Large and more recently, Peach was elected at the County Convention as the Rutherford County Republican Party Chairman. As Chairman, Peach promoted unity within the party and with the assistance of the current executive committee was able to increase membership around 100 percent within a year of his first term. Supplemental to his efforts within the local GOP, he also was appointed as one of the attorneys assigned to Congressman Zach Wamp’s gubernatorial campaign in 2010.
Mr. Peach , the son of the beloved SRO (Retired Rutherford County Deputy) Dick and Cecilia Peach, is married to Kathryn Peach and they have four children; Ryan, Chelsea , Hallie and Abbey, as well as a new grandchild, Adison. He has resided in Rutherford County for 23 years, living in the Rockvale community, Murfreesboro and currently in Smyrna.
“I have been blessed all of my life with the ability to help others through my chosen professions. When I initiated my public safety career with the Ambulance Service so many years ago at the young age of 18, the wise Director told me “you won’t get financially rich doing this, but you will be wealthy otherwise”.” I can’t say that sunk in as a late teenager, but I learned over the next 24 years exactly what he meant. Helping others, being a problem solver, especially when you more times than not; while a policeman, EMT or fire personnel, are interacting with citizens at what could be during one of the worst times of their life is the type of experience which cannot be replicated or taught within textbooks, in a classroom or even in a courtroom. The experiences of a public safety officer, which I call a view from the windshield of life, not only provides a person with the uncontroverted ability to confront adversity head on and directly, but it also educates you on the real life issues behind what ultimately can catapult citizens into the courtroom. Going into court, no matter the issue, can be a stressful event for all citizens and I truly understand that. In my opinion; however, having a judiciary that is not only just well versed in the letter of the law, but which also possesses the real life experiences to be cognizant of what can cause citizens to be there in the first place, that is just invaluable. I believe, as a lawyer, there is no greater honor than to serve as a Judge in the community in which you reside, raise your children and have dedicated your life to. It would be an honor and a blessing to serve all of the great people of Rutherford and Cannon County as their next Circuit Court Judge for Division 1.”
Source:
Jeff Peach, Staff Attorney for the Town of Smyrna
