Town Judge Hall passes away at 71 | Collierville Independent

Collierville native and Town Judge Craig Hall passed away Monday morning at the age of 71.

Hall served as the elected Municipal Judge of Collierville since 1983, which under state law is a part-time Judicial position that permitted him to engage in the practice of law in other courts. He was appointed Municipal Judge of Rossville in 1984 and served on both benches.

Hall guided the court’s growth from conducting court in the old Town Hall Board of Mayor and Aldermen Chambers to the current Municipal Courthouse. He was also instrumental in formulating the design Collierville’s Municipal Courthouse that was built in 2010.

A release from the town stated that Hall “always served to protect the interests of Collierville residents and its corporate citizens in the administration of justice. He was fair, firm and compassionate to those coming before his court and often punctuated with a sage-dose of humor.”

His devotion to Collierville Court is unparalleled and demonstrated by his 24/7 availability to the Collierville Police Department to sign and execute warrants to ensure the safety of all who live and work in Collierville.

Hall was one of the first judges in Shelby County to fully support the creation and development of Judge Tim Dwyer’s Drug Court by agreeing to transfer qualifying defendants to participate in this nationally recognized program that seeks their placement in Rehabilitation Centers in order for these individuals to have the resources to return to lawful and productive lives.

One of Hall’s most prominent contributions to Collierville Court is his Juvenile Offender Program that’s designed to promote public safety among teenage drivers and assist parents by keeping traffic violations from being reported to the Department of Safety upon the successful completion of the program.

In 2015, Hall partnered with the CLIF2012 foundation to conduct Distracted Driving presentations that has become the centerpiece of the Juvenile Program’s efforts to warn teenage drivers of the dangers of texting while driving and helps ensure the safety of Collierville’s roadways.

Hall was born in Shelby County, Tennessee on Jan. 7, 1947. He is a fourth generation Shelby Countian and resided in Collierville all of his life.

William Craig Hall graduated from Collierville High School in 1965 where he served as Vice President of his Senior Class and Co-Captain of the Collierville High School Football Team.

Upon graduation from high school, Mr. Hall joined the United States Marine Corps and served with the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Newport News, the US Navy Second Fleet Flag Ship, where he was a member of the Second Fleet Marine Detachment Drill Team. He was Marine Orderly to the Captain of the ship and the Admiral of the Second Fleet.

Following his military service, William Craig Hall attended the University of Tennessee at Martin where in 1971 he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree. At UT Martin he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

Following graduation from UT Martin, William Craig Hall pursued his Degree of Juris Doctor from Cecil B. Humphreys School of Law at Memphis State University which he earned in 1973. He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar April 27, 1974, admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee in 1975, admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in 1975 and the Supreme Court of the United States in 1990.

William Craig Hall was married for more than 30 years to Melinda Hall Cox. They have four children and two grandchildren. He is a lifelong member of the Collierville United Methodist Church and a communicant of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Collierville.