Charlie Susano to run again
By Focus Staff
Charlie Susano III, Knox County Circuit, Civil Sessions and Juvenile Court Clerk, announced his candidacy for reelection without the fanfare of a large crowd, choosing instead to recognize his staff and their dedication to the people of Knox County. Instead, Susano issued a simple statement saying he will run again in 2026 without pomp or circumstance, the same way he runs the office entrusted to him by the people of Knox County.
“The people of Knox County have been very good to me and I have tried to the best of my abilities to be good to the people and taxpayers of Knox County,” Susano said with a smile. “Our office is a service office, serving the citizens and legal community in Knox County with professionalism, courtesy, efficiency and economy. We always strive to do more.”
Susano cited several accomplishments during his tenure as clerk, pointing to the fact court systems throughout Tennessee cooperate with the Administrative Office of the Courts and a new system, Quest, has been implemented at the Juvenile Court to help with the considerable flow of paperwork and record keeping involved in one of the most important courts in Knox County. Charlie also touted the records being available online, which has been a big boost to the community. Susano has also stressed hiring professionals to man all the court offices and has won a reputation for personal attention. “We really do make an effort to acknowledge every communication coming into the office,” Susano told The Focus. “People deserve a reply when one can be given and we always keep in mind there are constraints imposed by both the law and the legal system.”
Susano won very high favorable rankings from the members of the Knoxville Bar Association for his conduct and in running the various court offices. “That was a great compliment,” Susano acknowledged. “Considering the number of attorneys, paralegals and even runners and interns we deal with daily, we try and treat each person with respect and courtesy in trying to assist them.”
The Knox County Civil Sessions and Circuit Court offices are fee offices, and Charlie Susano has worked to ensure each is operating at full capacity. The Knox County Juvenile Court’s fee structure was altered by the State of Tennessee some years ago.
Susano was first elected clerk of the Knox County Circuit, Civil Sessions and Juvenile Courts in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. As the son of the late Judge Charles Susano Jr., Charlie laughs about being confused with his father. “Well, I never mind it and growing up with Dad, I always had a great respect for the law and the legal community. My father also taught me to always be mindful of the people we serve, and as clerks, we try and live up to that every day.”
Asked about his upcoming campaign, Susano replied, “I’ll do what I always do: get out and see the people. My staff and I work hard to be a part of the overall community and stress that we run a service office. The best campaign is to start by doing a good job and I think we’ve done that and we will always try to do better.”
