EDUCATION

Ricky is a product of the Bristol, TN  school system, and a graduate of Tennessee High School.  He attended college locally at E.T.S.U., where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in history.  He obtained his Juris Doctrate from the University of Tennessee college of law.

EXPERIENCE

Ricky has a broad range of experience at all levels of the Tennessee Judicial System.   In the area of domestic relations, he has handled hundreds of highly charged divorce, custody, and support matters for clients from all walks of life. Because of his broad experience and demonstrated expertise in the field of domestic relations, he has been selected by the National Business Institute to teach continuing legal education classes for other attorneys in the area of family law, and has been called upon  to serve as a judicially appointed special master presiding over difficult domestic violence cases.  

    In the field of criminal law, Ricky is one of the few practicing attorneys in the area that has experience as a Sullivan County Assistant District Attorney.  As an Assistant D. A., Ricky participated in hundreds of criminal cases in courtrooms throughout Sullivan County, and prosecuted more jury trials in Sullivan County than any other lawyer (prosecution or defense/civil or criminal) during his time with the District Attorney's office.  As a prosecutor, Ricky often lectured at law enforcement training classes such as those sponsered by the Governor’s Highway Safety Office and the Tennessee District Attorney General’s Conference, as well as local law enforcement agencies. 

    Upon his resignation from the D.A.'s office in 2006, Ricky was elected to be the Republican nominee for Sullivan County Circuit Judge, Part 2, in May of 2006, eventually losing in the general election to the incumbent and current Judge.

Since that time, Ricky has defended individuals charged with criminal offenses throughout East Tennesee, bringing the same level of professionalism and dedication that he displayed as a prosecutor to the defense bar.

ACTIVITIES

Throughout his legal career, Ricky has demonstrated a commitment to improving our community and the legal profession.  He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, the Bristol Bar Association, and the Northeast Tennessee Young Lawyers Association.    Ricky has repeatedly volunteered to assist with the Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition; volunteers to lecture on the judicial system at local high schools; and provides pro bono legal work through the Legal Aid Clinic of East Tennessee.

Over the years, Ricky has also been politically active as a Life Member of the Republican National Committee, a sustaining member of the Tennessee Republican Party, and the American Conservative Union.  He currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Sullivan County Republican Party.  He is a proud member of the Federalist Society, a legal organization founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom; that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution; and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.   Ricky is also a card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association.