The Hon. J. Robert Carter (Ret.) is a former judge for Division III of the 30th Judicial District Criminal Court of Tennessee in Shelby County. He was elected to the bench in 2010. Carter retired in 2023.
Prior to his election, Carter was an assistant district attorney general in Shelby County since 1985. Before that, he worked in private practice and was a former public defender in Shelby County.
Carter earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities from Christian Brothers University in 1977. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, in 1980.
Carter was selected by the Tennessee Judicial Nominating Commission for a position on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in 2001, though he was ultimately not chosen for the seat.