News and Court Updates

We bring both somber and joyful news from our Juvenile Court of Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County family. After an astounding 59 years, 5 months of unwavering dedication to Juvenile Court, our dear colleague Ben Denton has made the decision to retire.

Ben’s impact on our organization is immeasurable, and his absence will be deeply felt. His vast experience, wisdom, and steadfast commitment has left an indelible imprint on each of us.

As we celebrate Ben’s well-deserved retirement, we encourage all who know him to take a moment to reflect on the countless memories and milestones that have enriched our lives thanks to his presence. His professionalism, kindness, and leadership have been a beacon of inspiration to us all. Continue reading “Ben Denton Retirement”

The Academies of Nashville recently held its annual Business Conference at the Martin Professional Development Center in the historic Eakin School building. Judge Sheila Calloway was the keynote speaker, and she brought an empowering message to the over 200 young scholars in attendance. Juvenile Court is a proud partner of the Academies of Nashville through its Youth Court program. Currently, the Court oversees Youth Courts in 6 Metro Nashville high schools.

The Academies of Nashville have been recognized by the White House as a national high school transformation model and provide students with one of the best college and career prep experiences in the nation. Every student in the 12 zoned Academies of Nashville schools have a choice of 35 different academies. Whether a student is interested in pursuing a career in healthcare or engineering, every academy will enhance the students high school experience while preparing them with skills applicable to any career field.

As we salute the members of the Court staff who proudly and honorably served in our nation’s armed forces, the Community Outreach team of Juvenile Court would like to thank everyone who assisted in our 2023 Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony. Special thanks to the Maplewood High School Jr. ROTC for bringing decorum and pageantry to our event and to the Tennessee Titans for allowing use of their facility to film our tribute video.

Find below the link to the tribute video to share with your friends and families.

https://youtu.be/9VnZyCprWJI

Judge Sheila Calloway and the staff of Juvenile Court would like to welcome the newest additions to our Court family. We look forward to their contributions as we attempt to make a difference in the lives of the youth and families of our community.

Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway and Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews hosted the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment (NYCE) Project Design Reveal. The design and architect team presented the tentative schematic design renderings for the NYCE, which will include Nashville’s new Juvenile Justice Center, a 24-Hr Assessment and Respite Center for Youth, and a Safe Exchange and Therapeutic Visitation Facility. The event was attended by Mayor Freddie O’Connell and a number of elected officials as we unveiled the new designs. Stay tuned for more information as we move closer to our groundbreaking event.

Juvenile Judge Sheila Calloway, Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews and their combined staffs came together to host the 9th Annual Spooktacular Halloween Block Party on October 31, 2023. A great time was had by all as our community partners, elected officials (including our mayor, Freddie O’Connell), marching bands and the mascots of the Titans, TSU Tigers and the Vanderbilt Commodores entertained our guests. The “Haunted Hallway” provided a “spooky” good time and our staff served hot dogs and popcorn to the youth and families that attended.

In recognition of the fundamental importance of access to language interpretation services as a means to allow full and meaningful participation of those with limited English proficiency in the civic process, the Mayor’s office and Juvenile Court collaborated this past Saturday, September 30, 2023, to provide interpreting services for Spanish-speaking attendees at the inauguration ceremony of Mayor Freddie O’Connell. David Morales, our staff court interpreter and language services coordinator at Juvenile Court, once again displayed his extensive abilities to interpret between English and Spanish at the event, offering simultaneous interpretation into a microphone, which was transmitted to receivers for those who needed it.

Continue reading “Court Administrator Selected as Presenter at Pathway To Peace Symposium”

The National Safety and Science of Teaching Academy (N.S.S.T.) at Stratford STEM Magnet High School hosted a Stop the Violence cookout at the Martha O’Bryan Center September 14th. They were joined by the staff of the Juvenile Court along with several community partners as we came together for food, fun and to share vital information on how we can curb the violence in our community. We value and appreciate our partnership with the faculty and staff at Stratford STEM and we look forward to expanding our relationship in the future. Continue reading “Juvenile Court and Stratford STEM H.S. Partner to Stop the Violence”