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One of the area’s leading trial attorneys is running for judge on the theme “by the book.”
Suzanne Cook, who practices civil litigation and family law at Hunter, Smith, and Davis, formally launched her campaign for Circuit Court Judge at an event at the Jonesborough Visitor’s Center Tuesday morning.
“I’ll put in the extra hours and burn the midnight oil to help get the job done catching up on the docket,” Cook said, referring to the caseload overhang that has developed over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. “When you’ve been injured, or your business is getting sued, or your property or family is on the line, justice delayed truly is justice denied.”
Cook, who has practiced at every judicial level in Tennessee, said, “We all want two things out of our judges. We want them to be unquestionably qualified and to judge impartially, that is, by the book.”
With almost 40 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials to her credit, Cook teaches trial practice as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Law School where she earned her own law degree.
Cook has also undertaken roles similar to a judge as both an arbitrator and special master and has achieved the “AV Preeminent” designation by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer-review rating for “legal ability and ethical standards” in the legal profession.
Cook said that same integrity also applies to the judicial philosophy a judge brings to the bench.
“I still believe in the traditional role of a judge. You look at the facts and evidence and what the words on the page actually say, not necessarily what you want them to mean, and you apply the laws as they were written by the people’s elected representatives. In other words, you can trust me to be a grounded and discerning conservative who will apply the law, not make it.”
Cook has been married to Marvin Chapel Pastor Joel Cook for 25 years. They have three children. The Republican primary is scheduled for May 3rd, 2022. The 1st District Circuit Court serves Carter, Johnson, Washington, and Unicoi counties.