David Stewart at a glance
- Current role
- General Sessions Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Tennessee · State
- Judicial service
- Active
David Stewart
General Sessions Court Judge · Tennessee General Sessions Court, Franklin County
Biography
Professional career
Education
- Bachelor’s degree from Centre College and completed his J.D. at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law in 2003.
Additional information
- Judge David L. Stewart was elected to the Franklin County General Sessions Court in 2022 and also presides over the Franklin County Juvenile Court.
- Jeffrey F. Stewart (Ret.), held the role of a chancellor for the 12th Judicial District Chancery Court for 29 years before retiring in 2018.
- Before his election to the bench, he practiced law privately from 2003 onward, gaining extensive experience in civil and criminal matters
- David Stewart previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for his father’s seat
- Judge Stewart comes from a family with a strong judicial tradition.
- Civil dockets for cases presided over by Judge Stewart are typically posted by noon the day before court dates, and he manages both civil and juvenile proceedings in Franklin County.
- He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, and the Franklin County Bar Association.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 30 allows media coverage of public judicial proceedings subject to the presiding judge's control and requires written media requests at least two business days before the proceeding unless waived.
Requests by representatives of the media for such coverage must be made in writing to the presiding judge not less than two (2) business days before the proceeding is scheduled to begin.Rule 30: Media Guidelines ↗
Statewide
Tennessee Rule 30 prohibits media coverage of jury selection, jurors, closed proceedings, and certain minor or juvenile-court participants.
Media coverage of jury selection is prohibited.Rule 30: Media Guidelines ↗
Remote appearances
Statewide
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 55 permits teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other technology for court proceedings at the discretion of the trial or appellate court.
The use of teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology to conduct court proceedings or other court business remotely is permissible at the discretion of the trial or appellate court.Rule 55: Use of Technology for Court Proceedings ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Rule 30: Media Guidelines
Tennessee General Sessions Court, Franklin County
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster ↗Rule 30: Media Guidelines
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Rule 30: Media Guidelines ↗Rule 55: Use of Technology for Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Rule 55: Use of Technology for Court Proceedings ↗