Charles Edward Atchley Jr.

Charles Edward Atchley Jr. (born 1966)[1] is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Charles E. Atchley Jr.
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
Assumed office
December 22, 2020
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byHarry Sandlin Mattice Jr.
Personal details
Born
Charles Edward Atchley Jr.

1966 (age 54–55)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Tennessee (BA)
Cumberland School of Law (JD)

Education

Atchley earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tennessee and his Juris Doctor from the Cumberland School of Law.[2]

Atchley began his career as a staff attorney with Family Inns of America, before working as an associate with Scott & Associates. From 1994–2001, Atchley served as an Assistant District Attorney General for Tennessee. He became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee in 2001 and served in the Criminal Division, supervising the General Crimes and National Security Section. From 2018–2020, Atchley was the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.[2] He left the Department of Justice after being appointed to the bench.

Prominent cases

In 2005, Atchley was the lead prosecutor in the case of Lester Eugene Siler, a suspected drug dealer who was tortured by five Campbell County police officers. He won convictions and the officers received sentences of four to six years. In 2016, Atchley prosecuted Tennessee state Representative Joe E. Armstrong for tax fraud, winning a conviction. In 2017, he was the lead prosecutor in the case of Szuhsiung Ho, who was accused of trying to recruit American nuclear experts to spy on American nuclear facilities, resulting in a 2017 plea bargain in which Ho was sentenced to two years in prison.[3]

Federal judicial service

On September 16, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Atchley to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. On September 22, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Atchley to the seat vacated by Judge Harry Sandlin Mattice Jr., who took senior status on March 10, 2020.[4] On November 18, 2020, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[5] On December 10, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–9 vote.[6] On December 17, 2020, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a 54–41 vote.[7] He received his judicial commission on December 22, 2020.

References
  1. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Charles E. Atchley Jr.
  2. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees". The White House. Retrieved September 16, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. Voruganti, Harsh (November 25, 2020). "Charles Atchley – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee".
  4. "Four Nominations and One Withdrawal Sent to the Senate", White House, September 22, 2020
  5. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for November 18, 2020
  6. Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 10, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee
  7. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Charles Edward Atchley, Jr., of Tennessee, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee)" United States Senate, December 17, 2020
Legal offices
Preceded by
Harry Sandlin Mattice Jr.		 Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
2020–present		 Incumbent
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