| Kevin Sharp | |
| Office: | Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee |
| Term Start: | October 1, 2014 |
| Term End: | April 15, 2017 |
| Predecessor: | William Joseph Haynes Jr. |
| Successor: | Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. |
| Office1: | Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee |
| Term Start1: | May 3, 2011 |
| Term End1: | April 15, 2017 |
| Appointer1: | Barack Obama |
| Predecessor1: | Robert L. Echols |
| Successor1: | William L. Campbell Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 22 January 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Education: | |
Kevin Hunter Sharp (born January 22, 1963) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Sharp was born on January 22, 1963, in Memphis, Tennessee.[1] He earned an Associate of Arts from Mesa Community College in 1988.[2] Sharp then received a Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, from Christian Brothers College (now known as Christian Brothers University) in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1993.[3]
During the 111th Congress, Democrats from the Tennessee House delegation provided recommendations to the Obama White House for filling a vacancy on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.[4] Sharp, himself a Democrat, was included on the original list of recommendations, but the delegation ultimately recommended Nashville attorney Kathryn Barnett as its first choice.[4] However, Sharp was the preferred choice of Republican Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.[4]
On November 17, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Sharp to a judgeship on the Middle District of Tennessee.[3] His nomination was for the seat vacated by Judge Robert L. Echols.[5] On May 2, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed his nomination by a 89–0 vote.[6] He received his commission on May 3, 2011, and served as Chief Judge beginning October 1, 2014.[7] On January 26, 2017, he sent a letter to President Trump resigning his judgeship effective April 15, 2017.[8] [9]
Sharp's former father-in-law, Lew Conner, is a former state court judge and a prominent Republican fundraiser who has donated over forty thousand dollars to the campaigns and political action committees of Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.[4]