Knoxville U.S. Attorney James R. Dedrick will step down this week after serving as the top federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Tennessee since 2007, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported. Dedrick has been with the U.S. Attorney’s office for 38 years.
President Barack Obama on May 20 nominated Jasper, Tenn., lawyer Bill Killian to take replace Dedrick.
Since joining that U.S. Attorney’s office, Dedrick has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney and interim and acting U.S. Attorney. He also served as interim U.S. Attorney in North Carolina.
Then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez also asked Dedrick to head the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, which Dedrick turned down. Gonzalez “was a bit miffed,” according to Dedrick, but “we laughed about it later,” he said.
Dedrick plans to spend his retirement traveling with his wife and focusing on charity and community service work.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Sullivan will run the office until the Senate confirms a U.S. Attorney.
