US District Court Judge Pamela Reeves dead at 66
Smyth County, Virginia native and US District Court Judge Pamela Reeves died on Thursday.
Reeves, 66, was the first female chief judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee which included service time in Greeneville. She was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama in 2014 and was the first woman to become president of the Tennessee Bar Association.
Reeves was a 1976 graduate of the University of Tennessee and she insisted on working in court during her cancer treatments.
US Senator Marsha Blackburn issued a statement following Reeves’ death announcement:
“I am saddened to hear about the passing of Chief Judge Reeves. She was a fair and compassionate judge, and she will be greatly missed on the bench. I was grateful for her friendship and appreciated the professionalism she brought to the job. May she rest in peace.”
US Senator Lamar Alexander wrote: “Pam Reeves had a lengthy and distinguished career as a lawyer and most recently as Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Tennessee. Her diligence and fairness as a lawyer and judge set an example for others, especially for women in the legal profession. I admired her and counted her as a friend. Honey and I send our sympathy and respect for her life to her family.”
(PHOTO: Tennessee Bar Association)