Taylor A. Cates, a partner in the commercial and business litigation practice at Burch, Porter & Johnson, has been sworn in as the first municipal judge for the City of Lakeland.

He was chosen by the five-member Lakeland Board of Commissioners and will preside over a docket that focuses on code enforcement matters.  He will also administer oaths and issue summonses and subpoenas as necessary.

“I have been a prosecutor for the City of Germantown since 2005, so I understand what it takes to enforce municipal rules and regulations,” he said. “Lakeland is growing, and as a community in transition, the city is eager to have more local control over its maintenance of community standards.  I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to the challenge.”

Cates graduated from Germantown High School and the University of Virginia, and received his law degree from Vanderbilt.