Bredesen Appoints Kenneth F. Irvine Jr. To Knox County Criminal Court 11/01/2007 Governor Phil Bredesen has appointed Kenneth F. Irvine Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., to fill the vacancy on the Knox County Criminal Court, Division II. The vacancy was created by the death of Judge Ray Lee Jenkins. Bredesen first appointed Irvine as Special Judge in August to fill the seat on a temporary basis. “Ken Irvine has already demonstrated in his short time on the bench that he enjoys the confidence of the attorneys who appear before the Knox County Criminal Court,” said Bredesen. “I am pleased to appoint Ken to this seat, and I appreciate the experience and willingness to serve that he brings to the position.” Prior to his appointment as Special Judge in August, Irvine served as an assistant district attorney since 2006 and was an assistant public defender from 2004 to 2006. After graduating from the University of Tennessee School of Law in Knoxville, he clerked for former Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Joseph B. Jones and practiced law in the private sector. “I want to thank Governor Bredesen, and I am extremely honored to have this opportunity to continue to serve the criminal court,” Irvine said. “My entire career has been devoted to criminal law, and I believe my understanding of the system will allow me to seek justice for all that come before the criminal courts of Knox County.” Irvine began his career as a paralegal in the United States Army. He is a volunteer with Knox County Veteran’s Stand Down, which provides housing and treatment assistance to homeless veterans. He also co-founded the Tennessee Innocence Project and has worked with Tribe One, a non-profit organization that works with inner city young adults that have problems with crime, gangs or drugs.