James (Jim) F. Goodwin at a glance
- Current role
- Criminal Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Tennessee · State
- Judicial service
- Active
James (Jim) F. Goodwin
Criminal Court Judge · Tennessee Criminal Court, Judicial District 2 (Sullivan)
Judicial assignments
- Tennessee 2nd Judicial DistrictCriminal Court Judge
Reported in the official 2025–2026 Tennessee Blue Book. Later appointments or departures may not yet appear in this edition.
Source checked October 15, 2026. Roster source
These published assignments do not certify a complete bench.
Biography
Professional career
- Judge James F. Goodwin, Jr. currently serves as a judge on the Sullivan County Criminal Court of the Second Judicial District in Tennessee, a position he has held since his election in 2014 and continues to hold with his term extending until August 4, 2030
- Assistant District Attorney General - 2nd District
- Judge Goodwin’s career highlights his extensive experience in criminal law, his leadership on the bench, and his ongoing role in shaping the judicial landscape of Sullivan County, Tennessee
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1991 and subsequently obtained his J.D. from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1994.
- THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE-KNOXVILLE Undergraduate 1991
Additional information
- He began serving on September 1, 2014, and has since been re-elected, maintaining his role as a key judicial figure in the county.
- He presides over criminal cases in Sullivan County and has been involved in numerous cases filed in the jurisdiction, including several in 2026
- Goodwin was elected to the Sullivan County Criminal Court in 2014, winning the Republican primary with 37.3% of the vote and running unopposed in the general election.
- Registered as a Republican
- Before his election to the bench, he worked in private legal practice and held the role of an assistant district attorney in the Sullivan County District Attorney's Office, gaining extensive experience in criminal law
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 Criminal Court, Judicial District 2 (Sullivan)
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 ↗