Taylor Bachelor Nominated as Judge Bill Anderson’s Successor in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Shelby County Commissioners nominated Taylor Bachelor on Monday to succeed Judge Bill Anderson, who is set to retire on March 1. This decision comes after Anderson announced his retirement earlier this year, concluding a 14-year tenure as a judge for Shelby County.

In a statement regarding his forthcoming departure, Judge Anderson expressed gratitude for his service: “It has been my honor to serve the people of Shelby County as a Judge for the past fourteen-plus years. When I was re-elected in 2022, it was the plan for both my wife and I to retire in 2025. To that end, please accept my resignation from the Judicial position in General Sessions Criminal Court Division 7, effective March 1, 2025. This will end my fifty-one-year career in the criminal justice system, beginning as a counselor, then an attorney, and culminating in this Judicial position. I will not ever run for, nor accept an appointment as a Judge in the future. At the age of seventy-one, my work is done.”

Prior to his nomination, Bachelor served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Her experience includes roles as a Juvenile Court magistrate and Shelby County judicial commissioner. Bachelor studied at Tennessee State University, the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys Law School, the University of Memphis School of Criminology, and Memphis Theological Seminary.

The nomination process was competitive, with Bachelor being one of 13 applicants for the position. In initial voting, both Bachelor and Loyce Ryan received three votes each, while John Marshall and Reagan Fondren received two votes each. After further deliberations, Bachelor emerged as the final nominee with nine votes, while Fondren secured four votes.

With Bachelor stepping into the role on March 1, she will fulfill the remaining four years of Anderson’s term. This transition marks a significant moment for the Shelby County judicial landscape as the county prepares for new leadership in the General Sessions Criminal Court Division 7.

As the nomination was announced, community members and political leaders have begun to weigh in on the potential impact of this change in judiciary representation.