The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County elected Jody Bell to fill the vacancy in General Sessions Court Division 6 at its regular meeting. The clerk announced Bell had prevailed in the machine vote, and the Vice Mayor congratulated her; the vote shown on the floor totaled 20 in favor.

Bell, who was nominated by Councilmember Jacob Coopin and introduced by colleagues who cited her 30-year litigation career and federal committee appointments, spoke briefly and pledged that "every person who appears before me, be they a victim, a witness, a party to a litigation, a person accused of crime, will be treated with dignity and respect," asking for the council's support.

Councilmembers who spoke in support pointed to Bell's experience and standing in the local bar. Councilmember Clay Capp said she is "a widely known and universally respected member of the bar" and noted federal judges have tapped her for local rulemaking and screening committees. Several other nominees — C. Michael Robinson, Mark Andrew Cole Sr., Leroy J. "Johnny" Ellis, and David Jones — also addressed the council, describing courtroom experience and why they sought the appointment.

Under the council's public-election process, nominators or nominees were allotted up to five minutes each; the voting rules required a majority of votes cast for election and provided for runoffs if no candidate received a majority. The Vice Mayor said the council would follow the procedures laid out in the Oct. 1 memo and council rules 48.2 and 48.3. After machine voting, the Clerk announced Jody Bell as the elected appointee.

Next steps: as an appointed General Sessions judge, Bell will assume duties consistent with the office. The council offered thanks to all nominees for putting themselves forward.