Frank "J." Runyon III

Frank J. Runyon is a partner at Runyon & Runyon. He applies his legal practice exclusively to criminal defense, representing clients in Clarksville and across the surrounding communities in Tennessee in the face of a range of complex criminal matters. As a former police officer who spent 12 years on the force, he has a multi-faceted understanding of criminal investigations and proceedings that gives him an edge as a criminal defense attorney.

“J.” was born in Clarksville, Tennessee in 1963. He joined the Clarksville Police Department when he was 22 years old, serving in a number of roles (Patrol Officer, Detective, Special Operations, VICE, Sergeant, and Patrol Shift Sergeant) from 1985-1997. He was named Detective of the Year in 1990. While on the force, he attended and graduated from Austin Peay State University in 1991 and Nashville School of Law in 1996. Frank was also an adjunct professor at Austin Peay State University, Fort Campbell Center, where he taught numerous law enforcement classes from 1996-1998.

Since he started practicing as a criminal defense attorney in 1997, J. has handled a wide array of criminal cases and has litigated many cases through to jury trial. He has litigated cases in the City Court of Clarksville, General Sessions, Juvenile Court, Circuit Courts, and Appellate Courts. He is licensed to practice before the U.S. District Court. J.is currently on the board for the Tennessee Association for Justice and is a former president of the Montgomery County Bar Association and graduate of the Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law class.

Clarksville Criminal Defense Lawyer & Former Police Officer on Your Side:

When it comes to defending clients in the face of criminal charges, there is nothing more valuable than an understanding of the “other side” of these proceedings. With his extensive experience as a former police officer and his community involvement, J. is uniquely qualified to provide criminal defense counsel.

• Tennessee, 1997
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, 1997
• U.S. District Court Western District of Tennessee, 1997
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee, 1997

• Nashville School of Law, Nashville, J.D. – 1996
• Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, B.S. – 1991

• Sergeant, Clarksville Police, 1991 – 1997
• Austin Peay State University, Instructor, Criminal Procedure, 1996 – 1998
• Clarksville Police Department, Police Officer/ Detective/SGT, 1985 – 1997

• Clarksville Police Department, Detective of the Year, 1990

• Montgomery County Bar Association, Past President
• Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law, Class of 2006

• Constitutional Law & Intro to Law Enforcement, Austin Peay State University, 1992 – 1995
• Criminal Procedure, APSU Fort Campbell Center, 1992 – 1995​