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John Owings
966-7074

About John......

I am married to Margaret “Meg” Cameron, a south Knoxville native and graduate of Doyle High School and the University of Tennessee.  Meg and I are members of the First Baptist Church of Concord.

I have two sons, Casey – 27, who graduated from Karns High School and served two tours of duty in the Middle East in the U.S. Navy, and Barrett – 20, a student at Roane State Community College.  I am a former little league coach, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Remote Area Medical Corps, a certified scuba diver and have been a private pilot since 1982. 

I obtained an Associate of Science degree from Roane State Community College, graduating Cum Laude, a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, graduating with High Honors, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Tennessee School of Law in 1988.

I am attaining membership in First Families of Tennessee and Sons of the Revolution.  My family has lived in the heart of East Tennessee since 1793 and am a direct descendent of Capt. William Sumpter, a patriot of the Revolutionary War and brother of Gen. Thomas Sumter, the “Gamecock of the Carolinas.”

In my service to the Republican Party, I have served on the Knox County Republican Executive Committee since 1992.  I am the chairman for the Farragut South precinct and have been for the last four years.  I am a Vice-Chairman of the Knox County Republican Party.  I have worked on many Lincoln Day Dinners, serving as Co-Chair this year.  In March, 2007, I served as the parliamentarian for the Knox County GOP party reorganization at Holston Middle School.  I served as campaign treasurers for both of my Republican predecessors in office, Richard Beeler and Mike Moyers. 

Three Reasons to Vote for John.... 

1.    EXPERIENCE.  I am currently the Knox County Law Director and have over seventeen years of experience in the office of the Knox County Law Director.  There is no substitute for my seventeen years of experience as both the Chief Deputy Law Director and the Law Director for Knox County.  My years of on-the-job, day-in and day-out, experience handling virtually every legal issue imaginable for Knox County qualifies me to be the Knox County Law Director.  I have served with integrity, honesty, dedication and independence.  These qualities, coupled with my experience and knowledge, are what I bring to the Office of Knox County Law Director.  The experienced attorneys, paralegals, secretaries and investigative assistants on my staff are eager, honest, hardworking professionals who exercise ethical judgment in executing the legal affairs of Knox County government. 

2.     INDEPENDENCE.  In 2006, the Knox County Charter was under attack.  As Law Director, on September 6, 2006, I successfully defended the validity of the Knox County Charter before the Tennessee Supreme Court.  The Knox County Charter with its term limit provision is intact today.  I offer strong knowledge of the legal affairs of Knox County government.  Importantly, I provide sound and independent legal advice for the day-to-day legal affairs of Knox County.  

3.    PROVEN.  During my sixteen years as Chief Deputy Law Director, I successfully defended Knox County in numerous civil rights lawsuits and related litigation in federal and state courts.  In addition, I have obtained nearly a million dollars for Knox County through litigation involving a contract dispute with a software company and a contract dispute with an insurance company.  I wrote and successfully defended Knox County Schools’ Drug-Free Workplace and Testing Policy in federal court.  Both Knox County Schools and Knox County Government use this policy to this day.  These are but a few examples of the legal work I have done on behalf of Knox County.  I enjoy the work and am honored and privileged to serve the people of Knox County.

Related Experience...

On September 24, 1990, less than one month after the Knox County Charter went into effect, I began working for Richard Beeler as the Chief Deputy Law Director for Knox County.  On September 1, 2006, after nearly sixteen years as second in charge to both Richard Beeler and Mike Moyers, I became the Knox County Law Director, filling the vacancy created by Mike Moyers’ election to Chancery Court Judge.  From day one, I was ready to serve as an experienced, independent and effective Law Director for the people of Knox County.

For sixteen years, as Chief Deputy Law Director for Knox County, I served as trial counsel and as in-house advisory counsel for Knox County and its officials.  As trial counsel, I defended Knox County, its officials and employees in numerous cases, including civil rights, education, employment, personal injury, contract claims and other cases.  On the prosecutorial side, I prosecuted Knox County Code violations.  As Chief Deputy, I supervised a staff of fifteen, including six attorneys, a paralegal and an investigator. 

Since September 1, 2006, I have served as the Knox County Law Director fulfilling the remainder of my predecessor’s four-year term of office – through August 31, 2008.  As law director, I have successfully defended the validity of the Knox County Charter.  In accordance with the Charter, I have executed and administered all of the legal affairs of the County, including litigation, drafting of contracts and legal documents, and advising County officials and employees on all legal matters affecting their respective offices and duties.  I manage a staff of seventeen, including seven attorneys, a certified paralegal, and an investigator.

Other Related Experience...

Because of my academic achievements and success, in 1988 I was selected the first Pro Se Law Clerk for the Federal Court (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee) in Knoxville.  I also served as the Staff Attorney for the Court.  I examined all State of Tennessee and Federal prisoner petitions and complaints, including civil rights complaints, state habeas corpus petitions, and motions to vacate sentences.  I reviewed all pleadings in prisoner cases, determined the issues involved, the basis for relief from the federal court, performed substantive legal research, managed a case load of over four hundred cases, and drafted appropriate dispositive and non-dispositive orders and opinions for the approval of the four federal court judges - Judges Jarvis, Jordan, Edgar and Hull.

I am licensed to practice law in the State of Tennessee and am admitted to practice in all courts of the State of Tennessee, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, and the United States Supreme Court.  I am a Certified Federal and State Court Mediator and have been since 1995.  I am Co-Chair of the Government Lawyers Section of the Knoxville Bar Association and a member of the Knoxville, American and Tennessee Bar Associations.  I am an Emeritus Member of The Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court, Knoxville, Tennessee and have been a member of the Tennessee County Attorney’s Association for sixteen years, serving on the Board of the association and as the Vice President this year.