Judge Thomas Parker
Western Tennessee U.S. District Court
Thomas Lee Robinson was born in 1963. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and received his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University School of Law. He entered private practice.
Parker served as an assistant U.S. attorney general for the Western District of Tennessee. He became a shareholder in a law firm and lobbying group, representing civil and criminal litigation. He served as president of the Memphis Bar Association.
President Donald Trump nominated Parker to be a district judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee in July 2017. The Senate invoked cloture in January 2018, and he was unanimously confirmed. Parker was sworn into office in February.
In the News…
U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker reversed the Memphis City Council’s ban against leaders of a protest from attending council meetings.
“City Council members have a tricky job,” Judge Parker wrote in the order. “They must hold open meetings where they make hard decisions on controversial topics. The citizens they represent often have strong opinions on those topics. The First Amendment protects citizens’ rights to speak and voice those opinions. In fact, the right to speak on political issues is central to First Amendment protections.”
Judge Parker said during the hearing that the council’s arguments sounded “like viewpoint discrimination or prior restraint.” He added, “You’re saying you know what these people have to say and what their views are.”
The judge also took issue with the council’s attempt to characterize the protest as a riot, noting that members of the council were conversing together or interacting with the crowd in videos of the event. Judge Parker said, “There was no fear in their eyes that I could see.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Parker today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Thomas L. Parker
Western Tennessee U.S. District Court
Odell Horton Federal Building
167 North Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103
