Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | City Court Clerk

The political life and times of Myron Lowery

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 19:04:23 -0500

Former Memphis City Council member Myron Lowery, who died Sunday, was also interim Memphis mayor and City Court Clerk during 40 years in the rough and tumble of local politics.

Questions that made it on the Nov. 5 ballot so far

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Wed, 4 Sep 2024 19:43:20 -0500

While Memphians might not vote on gun control, they will vote on runoffs for future mayor’s races, residency requirements for mayoral and City Council candidates and if the council can set its own pay.

City court clerk question will be on ballot; MLGW residency won't

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 19:02:09 -0500

The Memphis City Council voted down a ballot question that would have required MLGW employees to live within Shelby County. It gave final approval to a referendum on restoring the city court clerk as an elected office.

City Council to take final votes on two more 2024 ballot questions

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:17:24 -0500

The council has already approved two other charter referendums for the 2024 election year and has others waiting in the wings. If all are approved, it would make five ballot questions for Memphis voters next year.

Council redistricting scrap overshadows end of city budget season

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 21:05:21 -0500

The council ultimately approved a new set of district lines because of the closeness of October city elections. The council also took the race for City Court Clerk off the same ballot.

City Council drops property tax increase proposal

City Council Scorecard: Changing the city court clerk and tabling residency

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 30 May 2023 16:05:16 -0500

The council scorecard looks at two key votes at the May 16 council session, both on issues connected to the October Memphis ballot.

Myron Lowery stunned by council move to take clerk's office off October ballot

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 16 May 2023 19:55:15 -0500

A year ago, council members spoke privately with their attorney about an issue in the city charter. The resulting step to change the clerk’s office only surfaced the day before Tuesday’s council session.

City Council isn’t taking a stand on residency in mayoral race

Memphis City Council members seek to end elected City Court Clerk's office

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 16 May 2023 16:24:26 -0500

The ordinance to eliminate the elected clerk’s office and take it off the October ballot could come up for the first of three votes tomorrow.

Memphis City Council considers taking stand on mayor’s race

Council rejects Williams' appointment as deputy city court clerk

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 4 Jan 2022 19:02:39 -0600

Calvin Williams lost much of his support for the appointment when he told council members his 2007 conviction on federal bribery charges was about his refusal to implicate Black elected officials.

City Council Scorecard: Second chances

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 04:00:10 -0600

The last council scorecard of 2021 looks at two decisions that will likely be on the first scorecard tracking critical city council votes in 2022.

Williams appointment in clerk's office delayed again by council

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 20:39:50 -0600

The delay by the city council came after Calvin Williams said he’s paid for his mistakes but insisted he never “mismanaged anything in government.”

Williams appointment as deputy city court clerk delayed by city council

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 7 Dec 2021 21:15:41 -0600

Council member Worth Morgan called for the delay Tuesday, citing Williams’ conviction and prison sentence for bribery and extortion. Meanwhile, another appointment to the airport authority is also on the council agenda in two weeks.

Council resurrects gas station project at Broad and Tillman

Lowery's pick for deputy clerk previously convicted of bribery

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Mon, 6 Dec 2021 22:39:45 -0600

City Court Clerk Myron Lowery is seeking to appoint former Shelby County Commission administrator Calvin Williams, once convicted on federal bribery charges while county commission administrator, as one of his deputy clerks.

DeGraffreed says city court clerk's office should be appointed, not elected

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Sun, 22 Sep 2019 15:07:52 -0500

The chief deputy of the City Court Clerk’s office, who is running for the clerk’s position on the Oct. 3 Memphis ballot, doesn’t think the job should be an elected position.

Sanford: Will voters give well-qualified young clerk candidates a chance?

o.sanford@memphis.edu (Otis Sanford) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 04:00:04 -0500

The lesser known candidates for City Court clerk may not say it publicly, but there is resentment that Myron Lowery and Joe Brown hope voters choose familiarity over qualifications.

Jones and Pool top bar association poll in two contested city court judge races

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 16:31:28 -0500

More than 800 attorneys participated in the ranking of candidates as best qualified for the judicial races. In the race for city court clerk, the largest response to the field of nine contenders was "no opinion."

Brown to run for City Court clerk on October ballot

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 00:27:00 -0500

Memphis City Council member Joe Brown is running for City Court clerk.

Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | City Court Clerk

The political life and times of Myron Lowery

Questions that made it on the Nov. 5 ballot so far

City court clerk question will be on ballot; MLGW residency won't

City Council to take final votes on two more 2024 ballot questions

Council redistricting scrap overshadows end of city budget season

Related story:

City Council Scorecard: Changing the city court clerk and tabling residency

Myron Lowery stunned by council move to take clerk's office off October ballot

Related story:

Memphis City Council members seek to end elected City Court Clerk's office

Related story:

Council rejects Williams' appointment as deputy city court clerk

City Council Scorecard: Second chances

Williams appointment in clerk's office delayed again by council

Williams appointment as deputy city court clerk delayed by city council

Related story:

Lowery's pick for deputy clerk previously convicted of bribery

DeGraffreed says city court clerk's office should be appointed, not elected

Sanford: Will voters give well-qualified young clerk candidates a chance?

Jones and Pool top bar association poll in two contested city court judge races

Brown to run for City Court clerk on October ballot