Joe Jarret to run for law director

As expected, Joe Jarret, left, wants to keep his job. (Hey, who doesn't want to keep their job? Er, doesn't answer that.)

The interim law director sent out the following spin, I mean release, this morning.:

"Incumbent Knox County Law Director Joe Jarret announced today that he's a candidate for Knox County law director on the 2012 ballot. A veteran who spent ten years on active duty military service, Jarret was appointed law director a year ago to replace Bill Lockett. He began serving Knox County in 2008 first as the chief deputy law director and then as the interim law director before being unanimously appointed by the county commission in June, 2010 to the position he now holds. He has been practicing public sector law for 21 years and has litigated cases before the Tennessee Supreme Court, lower Tennessee State Courts and federal courts. This is the third time in his legal career that he has served as a law director for a public entity. He is a federal and Tennessee mediator who teaches local government law to attorneys across the state of Tennessee. He also teaches graduate students at the University of Tennessee, Graduate School of Public Administration. Jarret has published over 85 articles in various professional journals and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s degree in public administration, and the juris doctor degree."

As reported in late June, former county Commissioner Richard "Bud" Armstrong also is running for the spot.