Former Rutherford County prosecutor Nathan Nichols announced his candidacy for Circuit Court Judge today. Nichols is seeking the Republican Party's nomination for the position during the May 1, 2018 primary.

Nathan spent the majority of his career as an assistant district attorney general handling felony and misdemeanor cases in Rutherford County Circuit Court. He represented the State of Tennessee in thousands of prosecutions and also worked as the District Attorney's dedicated child sexual and physical abuse prosecutor. During his time as a prosecutor, Nathan chose to specialize in cases which involved victims, such as homicides, rapes, robberies, and domestic violence. He worked hard to see that every victim with whom he worked was given the respect, compassion and patience they deserved and that those who had harmed them were appropriately punished.

"As a prosecutor, I fought every day to see that justice was done in each case I prosecuted and that our community and its children were safe. If elected as your next Circuit Court Judge, I will bring that same dedication to justice and public safety with me to the bench," Nichols said.

Nichols left the district attorney's office after being appointed by Chancellor Howard Wilson to serve as one of his clerk and special masters. In that role, Nichols administered the office of the chancery court clerk and heard cases for the Chancellor and Circuit Court Judges. Over the years, Nathan has presided over hundreds of cases as a judge and special master spanning civil, criminal, and juvenile law. He completed training at the world-renowned National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada and, with over eighteen years spent working in the judicial system, Nathan has seen the courtroom from virtually every angle imaginable through his service as a judge, special master, prosecutor, attorney, and court clerk.

A member of the Federalist Society, Nathan believes a judge's role in our democracy is to say what the law is, not make it from the bench. He believes the people's elected representatives are tasked with writing law and that judicial activism is totally incompatible with our form of government.

"The powers of the judiciary should not be abused and exploited to further a political or social agenda. Judges should always remain laser focused on impartially and fairly applying the law, and nothing else," Nichols said.

Nathan is a member of the Church of Christ and he and his wife Melissa are very active in the community. He was the Republican Party's nominee for Circuit Court Judge in 2014, is past chairman of the Rutherford County Republican Party's Issues and Government Relations Committee, and is the former Republican Party Precinct Captain for the Blackman Community. He is also a member of the National Rifle Association, Republican National Lawyers Association, Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association and Rutherford/Cannon County Bar Association.

In concluding his announcement, Nichols said, "I have proudly devoted my entire adult life to protecting, helping, and serving the people of Rutherford and Cannon Counties. I believe I possess the judicial experience, patience and dedication they deserve in their next Circuit Court Judge. It would be a great honor to serve in this position and I look forward to meeting with as many voters as possible during the next several months so I may earn their support."

For more information about the Nathan Nichols campaign for Circuit Court Judge, please visit NicholsforJudge.com or email Nathan at Nathan@nicholsforjudge.com.