Collierville and Germantown had uneventful uncontested elections for their respective part-time municipal judges in Thursday’s elections.

Even before the polls closed Thursday, Aug. 4 evening, the winners of those races already were decided.

Down a judge, Germantown is considering a temporary replacement

Lee Ann Pafford Dobson will continue serving as the town’s municipal court judge. Her new term lasts eight years. Meanwhile, Germantown’s two judges — Robert Brannon and Raymond Clift Jr. — also were re-elected to their respective positions without opposition.

Dobson has served Collierville since January 2019, when she was appointed to fill the unexpired term of William Craig Hall, who died in December 2018. Hall had served the town for 35 years. He often ran unopposed for his term. Dobson, the first female judge in Collierville, ran unopposed in her 2020 election to finish the remaining two years of Hall’s term.

Germantown has two part-time judges, both earning another eight years on the bench. Clift has served Germantown for 40 years, and Brannon has sat on the suburban bench since 1998. The two rotate each week on Wednesday nights for traffic and criminal matters. They also oversee juvenile and code matters the first two Thursdays of each month.

Clift served as the state’s assistant district attorney from 1970 until 1972 and was elected Germantown alderman in 1978. He served a two-year term as the board transitioned to staggered terms rather than having all alderman positions on the ballot at once.

Clift is taking a leave of absence, and Germantown aldermen are scheduled to consider a temporary judge at their meeting Monday, Aug. 8.

Polls close but glitches, lines delay release of results in 23% turnout

Brannon has more than 45 years of experience as an attorney specializing in criminal and DUI defense. Prior to entering private practice, he served in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s office.

Germantown aldermen, in December, voted to raise the judges’ salary from $40,000 to $50,000 annually, following Thursday’s election.