Shelby County Criminal Court Division 9 Judge A. Melissa Boyd has received a written reprimand from the State of Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct. 

A public release of the reprimand, dated May 8, states Boyd has solicited resources and cash donations on Facebook to benefit a school. 

“Your posts seeking these contributions from the public show you wearing your judicial robe,” the release reads. 

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According to state law, judges are prohibited from abusing “the prestige of judicial office to advance the personal or economic interests of . . . others[.]”

“Thus, conflating judicial office with promoting the private interests of others is prohibited,” the letter reads. “Here, you lent the prestige of judicial office to advance the private interests of others by soliciting money and resources on social media. As noted above, you made these solicitations from the public with images of you wearing your judicial robe.”

A letter dated Dec. 21, 2022, notified Boyd of the full investigation into her social media activity, but she neglected to reply to it promptly, according to the public reprimand. 

Judges who receive a notice of a full investigation are required to respond within 14 days. 

Boyd did not submit a response until Feb. 23, according to the reprimand.

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On March 22, Boyd was sent a notice that the investigation was expanded to include failure to respond to the board’s inquiry in a timely manner.

“In a letter dated April 10, 2023, you provided your reasoning for the late response,” the letter reads. “Even under this scenario, however, you did not file the response until after the statutory deadline.”

Boyd has accepted the public reprimand, according to the letter. 

“The Board trusts that the reprimand imposed today will result in an elevated consciousness about how to approach similar situations going forward, as neglecting ethical responsibilities not only reflects poorly upon the individual judge but undermines the integrity of the judicial system and the administration of justice,” the letter reads. 

The public reprimand is not Boyd’s first infraction as a practicing attorney or judge in Tennessee. 

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On Dec. 21, 2015, Boyd was suspended from practicing law in Tennessee for a year with 30 days of active suspension and the remainder on probation.

According to a release of information from the Board of Professional Responsibility, Boyd “failed to act with diligence in the handling of a petition to change custody, failed to deposit an unearned fee in a trust account and failed to refund the fee when terminated prior to performing the work.”

Further details of the circumstances that led to her suspension were not provided in the 2015 release. 

A petition was filed against Boyd on April 6, 2015, and she filed a guilty plea on Nov. 23, 2015. The board approved the guilty plea Dec. 11, 2015.

Boyd’s actions violated the following Rules of Professional Conduct: diligence, safekeeping property and funds, declining or terminating representation and misconduct.

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Upon her suspension, Boyd was required to meet certain conditions. She was required to have a practice monitor, who would submit monthly reports to the board addressing assessment of caseload, timeliness of tasks and adequacy of communication with her clients.

She was also required to undergo an evaluation by the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program and enter into a monitoring agreement if TLAP deemed it appropriate. 

TLAP is a confidential program for lawyers, judges, bar applicants and law students who suffer from physical or mental disabilities. According to its website, many law professionals who seek assistance from TLAP are struggling with substance use issues, stress or emotional health issues. 

Boyd was also ordered to pay a $1,000 restitution to one of her clients. 

She was reinstated April 7, 2016. 

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On May 15, 2015, less than a month after a petition for her suspension was filed, Boyd sent a resume and application for a Judicial Commissioner position to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.

It is unclear whether she was accepted. Her LinkedIn page does not show that she worked as a judicial commissioner. 

A public records request with the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office shows Boyd worked for the DA’s office from July 9, 2007, to April 27, 2012.

A performance review from Aug. 1, 2011, states Boyd should “work toward managing caseload more efficiently.”

In another performance review dated Aug. 8, 2008, Boyd critiqued herself, saying she needed to “work on knowledge of job.”

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A supervisor, Terrell Graves, wrote “improvement will come with her knowledge and experience.”

She submitted a termination letter to former Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich on April 9, 2012. 

“After four years and ten months I feel it is in my best interest to move on in order to further my career and professional life,” Boyd wrote. “I am very appreciative of Bill Gibbons for giving me this opportunity and I have enjoyed serving my community in this capacity. I could enumerate many reasons why I feel the time has come to move on however I will not at this time.”

Boyd practiced private law from 2012 until at least 2015, according to the resume and application for the Judicial Commissioner position submitted to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.

Boyd has worked as a law clerk in private practice and the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy. She has also worked as a financial analyst, portfolio analyst, staff accountant and customer service manager. 

She served as a military police/unit manager with the United States Air Force from 1986 to 1990.