Criminal Court Judge Division VIII, District 30, Unexpired Term
Shelby County, Tennessee
My vote power
Above average
Election date
August 6, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: Above average · 59 out of 100
This district is a good deal smaller than its state, so each vote here carries more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 919,173 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(7,066,383 ÷ 919,173) ÷ ln(50,000) = 59.43, measured against a statewide vote in TN (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
Above average representation → My vote power: Above average.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information.
About this office
- Deciding trials in the county
- Ruling on evidence and setting sentences in criminal cases
- Deciding family, probate, and civil disputes
Affects: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights,
Candidates
Nonpartisan · lost
David "Hawk" Allen is a Direct Representation Unit attorney in the Shelby County Public Defender's Office. He represents indigent clients in misdemeanor and felony cases after previously practicing civil litigation. Allen earned a bachelor's degree and a 2019 law degree from the University of Memphis and has been licensed in Tennessee since 2020.
Nonpartisan · won
Javier Bailey II is an attorney with the Shelby County Public Defender's Office. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Memphis and attended Southern University Law Center. Bailey has been licensed to practice law in Tennessee since 2022.
Joe Ozment
LostNonpartisan · lost
Joe Ozment is a Memphis criminal-defense attorney who has practiced law in Tennessee since 1992. His work includes felony and capital cases and appeals before Tennessee appellate courts and the Sixth Circuit. Ozment earned degrees from the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis law school and has led state and local criminal-defense bar organizations.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for
John L. Dolan
LostNonpartisan · lost
John L. Dolan Jr. is a Memphis criminal-defense attorney whose practice focuses on major felony cases. He has practiced law in Tennessee since 1981 and has also handled cases in Mississippi. Dolan earned his law degree from the University of Memphis and continues to represent defendants in Shelby County criminal proceedings.
Records: Legal Competence 6 against
Katie Ratton
LostNonpartisan · lost
Katie Ratton serves as an Assistant District Attorney General in Shelby County. During nearly two decades in the legal profession, she has worked as a prosecutor, public defender, and Assistant City Attorney for Memphis. Ratton earned her law degree from the University of Iowa and has practiced law in Tennessee since 2005.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Impartiality 1 for, Legal Competence 1 for,
Nonpartisan · lost
Latonya Sue Burrow is a Memphis criminal-defense attorney who has practiced law in Tennessee since 1993. Her career has included private practice, service as Memphis chief ethics officer, and work as an assistant public defender in re-entry. She earned a bachelor's degree from Rhodes College and a law degree from Memphis State University.
Ruchee Patel
LostNonpartisan · lost
Ruchee Patel is a Memphis criminal-defense and appellate attorney at Donati Law. She has practiced law in Tennessee since 2007 and represents clients in state and federal courts. Patel earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and a law degree from the University of Mississippi.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for, 2 against
Results
Won · Certified
Winner: Javier Bailey, II (Nonpartisan)
Source: electionsshelbytn.gov · researched September 12, 2026
Sources: electionsshelbytn.gov234