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General Sessions Judge delivers Moore justice
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Judge Ryan J. Moore
Dalton Perez
Published: May 28, 2023, 3:20 AM

Ensuring justice is served and children are cared for are issues that motivate General Sessions Judge Ryan J. Moore. 

Moore became interested in the practice of law when he was a freshman at Warren County High School and began competing in mock trial cases. “The mock trial team, then led by Dr. Haskell Greer and Attorney Tom Miner, opened my eyes to the law. I was hooked and knew I wanted to be a lawyer,” Judge Moore said. 

Moore graduated from Belmont University in 2002 and moved back to McMinnville. “I worked in the family business for a few years before deciding to attend Nashville School of Law.  I was working full time during the day and going to school at night,” said Moore.  Taking a few years after undergrad to work before pursuing his law degree gave Moore a greater appreciation for his legal education. 

Moore graduated law school in 2011 and immediately began his career as a lawyer. He opened his own firm in McMinnville and was mentored by Hilton Conger. “Hilton was such a great mentor. He showed me the ropes and handed me a General Sessions case my first day,” he said. Never forgetting how he benefited from a mentor and the instruction from scripture to build up one another, Moore encourages young lawyers to practice in General Sessions Court. “Lawyers get a lot of good experience in General Sessions Court. It’s like a baptism by fire because of its broad jurisdiction,” he noted.  

Moore was sworn in as Judge on Sept. 1, 2022. Bringing a commitment to making sure no one is left behind, he has been determined to protect the disadvantaged youth in our community. While in private practice, Moore volunteered as legal counsel for the Children’s Advocacy Center for the 31st Judicial District and is passionate about its mission to serve at-risk children and their families. “The most challenging aspect of my job is our dependency and neglect docket,” he said.  

Moore’s most rewarding aspect of being Judge has been the implementation of CASA because it will be a tremendous compliment to the great work the Children’s Advocacy Center does in protecting Warren County’s most vulnerable. “CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. It is a volunteer guardian program that stands up for the best interest of children who have been abused or neglected,” said Moore. “I am grateful that the community has embraced CASA. Our volunteer Advocates have worked hard to complete extensive training and each Advocate brings unique talents. These Advocates are a tremendous asset in determining what is in the best interest of the child,” said Moore.  

General Sessions Court has broad jurisdiction hearing criminal, civil and juvenile cases. “Being organized is paramount, especially in criminal court because in addition to the defendant, you have the State prosecuting the case; many times, you also have a victim, fact witnesses and law enforcement agencies.  It’s very rewarding to see a docket come together and see justice at work. It’s a team effort.  We have the best General Sessions and Juvenile Court staff in the State. I am very fortunate to have Mickey Lynn Craighead assisting me as we work to keep these dockets moving forward. She does so much behind the scenes to keep me organized and provide much needed office support.” Our director of juvenile court, Barry Dishman, is well known across the state for his expertise in rehabilitating juveniles.  And, we’re happy to welcome Tara Mullins to the team as our youth services officer.  She has a strong background in probation and is a great asset.  I also have the pleasure of working alongside Circuit Court Clerk Casi Powell Cantrell and her staff who are so helpful and knowledgeable.  I made a promise to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and our amazing courthouse staff helps me to be on schedule, prepared and productive,” Moore stated. Upon being sworn in, he committed to holding court five days a week to create an efficient docket system that is fair to all litigants and allows everyone their day in court.

Judge Moore starts court at 8:30 a.m. with civil cases being heard on Mondays, criminal cases heard on Tuesdays, juvenile cases heard on Wednesdays, traffic cases heard on Thursdays and special set contested matters heard on Fridays.

General Sessions Court is truly Judge Moore’s passion. He embraces the busy schedule and arrives at the office early with a reputation for working long hours.  “With General Sessions Court hearing approximately 1,000 cases per month, it has been called ‘the people’s court,' because it provides a low-cost avenue for litigants to try cases, with many of the litigants not even hiring a lawyer,” Moore said. “It’s also been referred to as the E.R. of the court system due to the fast pace and high volume.”

In Sept. 2022, Moore also implemented changes to the court dress code and code of conduct within the courtroom and is pleased with the response. At the start of the year, shorts, sagging pants, tank tops, halter tops and clothing with a bare midriff became strictly prohibited. “This code of conduct has also helped to make for a more efficient court docket,” Moore said.

Moore and Dishman have worked to create more meaningful community service opportunities for juveniles including working alongside local civic groups and churches such as the Rotary Club, Heritage Alliance, and Black History Museum of Warren County. “Barry and I have seen this firsthand that the kids get more out of it than just working their hours. We helped with a spring cleanup last month at a local church and when it was over, I asked each juvenile to tell me one thing they learned. The answers included the importance of our environment and teamwork. One learned he wanted a job in construction, another learned how to lay sod and wanted a landscape job.  Another Saturday we partnered with Rotary and the HOME organization furniture drive. The juveniles learned the value of hard work and were introduced to two great organizations who are helping our homeless population.”

While Moore embraces the busy schedule and is excited about the work that comes before the court, he is committed to his family. In his time away from the courthouse, Moore enjoys spending time with his wife of 16 years, Ashley, and their two children, Sutherlyn and Shep.
WCACAC talks about euthanasia
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Nikki Childers
Published: Mar 14, 2025, 11:58 PM

During the regularly scheduled Warren County Health and Welfare Committee meeting on Tuesday, the topic of behavioral euthanasia at Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center was one of the primary points of discussion.

Although WCACAC does not euthanize animals to create space in its facility, there are some situations, according to staff and the committee, when animals’ wellbeing or quality of life come into question due to factors outside the shelter’s control.

The employee chosen to receive certification to perform euthanasia will be required to submit their TBI background check and an application with a passport photo to begin the process for certification. Their background check and application then go to the Tennessee Veterinary Board and once approved, the employee will be set up for their first day of online classes before having to attend an in-person course which is typically held in Nashville or Murfreesboro.

Previously, behavior euthanasia was performed by vets, but they have largely refused to conduct them in recent years due to the emotional toll it bears. This leaves the shelter with the onus, if the county is to continue euthanizing animals who display extreme aggression.

Health and Welfare Committee Chair Blaine Wilcher asked how many dogs have currently been marked for aggression and the employees indicated there was a handful, all of which had been at the shelter for over two years and were aggressive enough to have bitten employees and trusty inmates during routine procedures such as cleaning cages. Due to liability concerns, these dogs are unadoptable.

According to staff, it is believed the extended stay in the cages has caused the dogs’ mental health to decline, leading them to become aggressive.

“It’s a shame, but they’re basically in prison at this point, without parole,” Blaine said.

Jeff Tubb, who is the Document Controller for WCACAC, indicated he had done hours of his own research trying to find answers or cures for the dogs.

“When you’ve got animals that have been in there for two years, it’s like putting somebody in solitary confinement,” Tubb said. “Even a human will go crazy. The same thing has happened to these animals.”

Beyond the matter of becoming certified to perform euthanasia in extreme situations like this one, the committee discussed baseline criteria to guide the facility on when behavioral euthanasia is necessary and whose call was final word.

“I just want to know who’s picking and choosing the criteria of when an animal needs to be euthanized. Would that be Brandi?” County Commissioner Kasey Owens asked.

Wilcher replied, “I would say she would probably have the main say because she would know more about it than anyone as far as how long the animal has been there, if they are aggressive and other details. I would think she would be the final stamp, wouldn’t she?”

County Commissioner Terry Bell admitted it was something they were still trying to determine and suggested perhaps the committee be the ones to discuss and decide on an animal-by-animal basis.

“No, I don’t agree with that, and I’m going to tell you why,” Owens said. “We don’t have the experience, and it is not our area of expertise to be doing that.”

Bell expressed reluctance to place it squarely on the employees of the shelter, as the task is a difficult one, especially for those who may have forged bonds with the animals while caring for them.

“I don’t want to put that on Brandi or anyone else down there,” Bell said. “It’s not right for anyone to have to step up and say ‘Oh, this dog right here’ — I don’t want to put anyone in that position. No one wants it on them, but that is the uncomfortable situation that we’re faced with. People can’t take care of their animals and that has landed us here.”

The committee suggested keeping track of details such as animals who have been there the longest and whose behavior had been affected grievously by captivity and were no longer candidates for adoption. Due to the limitations on the shelter’s capacity and the effect long-term captivity in a shelter setting has on animals, the committee felt it was neither realistic nor ethical to keep such pets indefinitely.

“In the past, we’ve had directors that actually euthanized,” Wilcher said. “And then we’ve had them take them to be euthanized. They made the call based on the history and all that, we weren’t involved.”

Ultimately, the committee was unable to decide on criteria and opted to table it for a future meeting where WCACAC Manager Brandi Harville could be in attendance to discuss the matter as well.

WCACAC has no plans to euthanize animals for space and maintains its qualification as a no-kill shelter, which means it has at least a 90% placement rate for the animals in its care. For the month of February, 19 animals were adopted into new homes and a free adoption event is currently taking place.