Tribunal Staff

Very Reverend J. David Carter, J.V., J.C.L.
Judicial Victor

Rev. J. David Carter received his License in Canon Law (JCL) in 2010 from the Gregorian University in Rome. He serves as both Vice-Chancellor for Canonical Affairs and Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Knoxville as well as pastor and rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. His full bio is on the basilica parish website.



Mr. Tyler W. Ross, J.C.L.
Judge

Mr. Ross is a native of Chattanooga, where he currently lives with his wife. He had the privilege of moving back to his hometown in 2019 to help establish the Tribunal. He functions primarily as one of the three judges for the Tribunal, but secondarily as the Case Sponsor Coordinator. 
 

Sister Catherine Ngozi Okoye, S.J.G.S., J.C.D.
Judge

Sister Catherine Okoye is a member of the Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd Congregation, a religious congregation founded in Nigeria. 
She has her PhD in Canon Law from Pontifical Lateran University and Jurisprudence in Canon Law from Urban University Rome. She functions as one of the three judges of the Tribunal and is the judge who handles all documentary cases.


Mr. James M. Olson
Moderator of the Tribunal and Ecclesiastical Notary

Mr. Olson is a native of Dayton, Tenn., and a convert to the Catholic Church. He resides in Pikeville, Tenn., with his wife Naomi and his three children, and they attend Mass at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. As Moderator of the Tribunal, Mr. Olson ensures that all procedures are followed correctly, maintains the files of active and inactive cases, and acts as the primary point of contact for all communication with the Tribunal. As the notary for the Tribunal he ensures that the documents and proclamations of the Tribunal are accurate and correct.