Montgomery County Judge Wayne Shelton retires as Tennessee's longest sitting judge

After 43 years on the bench, Montgomery County Judge Wayne Shelton is hanging up his robes for good.

Shelton, having been appointed to General Sessions Court with Juvenile Court jurisdiction in 1979, was the state's longest sitting judge until his June 30 retirement.

Dozens of Shelton's friends and family as well as community residents recently celebrated his retirement at Edward's Steakhouse. During the event, he was presented with a joint resolution from the Tennessee House and Senate.

Shelton graduated from the Memphis State School of Law, now known as the University of Memphis, in 1973 and moved to his family's ancestral home in Clarksville. He practiced law with the late Thomas E. Stamper before his appointment to the newly created DIV II Juvenile and General Sessions Court of Montgomery County.

During his career, Shelton served as president of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges from 1987-1988 and was awarded the Judge Elizabeth McCain Memorial Award in recognition of his service to the Tennessee Juvenile Courts.

In 2019, he was awarded the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Lifetime Achievement Award.

Shelton and his wife, Patty Anderson Shelton, have eight children, six grand-children and three great-grandchildren.

His family and the Montgomery County Bar Association helped to establish the Hon. Wayne C. Shelton Endowed Scholarship at Austin Peay State University for students of political science and special needs education.

In his spare time, Shelton loves to spend time with his family and garden, he said.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Montgomery County Judge Wayne Shelton retires as Tennessee's longest sitting judge after 43 years