Juvenile Court Judge Jay Taylor commended by Hawkins County School System on stance against truancy

School attendance is on the rise in Hawkins County and Attendance Supervisor Steve Starnes recently recognized Judge Jay Taylor as part of that increase. “One of our goals has been to improve our relationship with Juvenile Court, and I think we really have done that, especially with our new Judge James Taylor. He takes the stance too that kids should be in school.”

Judge Taylor states that Juvenile Court heard 224 truancy cases during the 2006 calendar year, according to the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts.

“Juvenile Court’s purpose, in part, is to provide for the wholesome moral, mental and physical development of children coming within its Court,” Judge Taylor said. “If children are to have a future, they must have an education and I intend to see that Juvenile Court does its part to make that happen.”

Judge Taylor has proposed to the County Commissioners that the office of Juvenile Court Judge be made full-time. The office was originally created by private act in 1982 as a one day per week position and has not been modified since its inception although the caseload of the Court has increased by 7.66% per year over the last ten years.