KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ahead of a highly competitive race for Knoxville municipal judge, incumbent Judge John Rosson held a press conference this week for his campaign, breaking a Tennessee Supreme Court judicial code.
Rosson held a press conference to announce former opponents Mary Ward and Andrew Beamer have endorsed his campaign.
In Canon 4 of the code, Rule 10 states "a judge or a judicial candidate shall not use court staff, facilities, or other court resources in a campaign for judicial office."
Rosson said Thursday he was not aware of the rule until after the press conference.
"I apologize, did not mean to break any rules," he said. "I haven't had to run a campaign in 20 years and it's just not something I was thinking about. I should have done more research."
Rosson's opponent, Tyler Caviness, said it's about rules and fairness.
"Rules are in place to ensure fairness," Caviness said. "I am not the judge, I couldn't go and hold a press conference in the city courtroom."
Legal analyst Don Bosch weighed in on the issue. He said it couldn't disqualify Rosson but it could end up with a fine or a "cease and desist."
"The Board of Judicial Conduct handles ethical complaints against judges," Barbara Peck, the director of communications for the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, said. "As you might imagine, the Board follows a statutory process for evaluating and addressing potential ethical misconduct of judges. That process begins with the filing of a complaint, which can be found on the Board's website."