Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes announced on May 19, 2026, that a biopsy had confirmed a brain tumor and that he would undergo surgery the following day. Starnes shared the news in a post on his Facebook account.

Starnes wrote that initial scans the previous week had indicated a possible tumor and that a biopsy had since confirmed the diagnosis. He described a treatment plan calling for surgery the following day, with chemotherapy to follow if the procedure went well. He also stated his intention to return to the bench if his recovery permits.

"I had hoped for a less extreme result, but a biopsy yesterday confirmed a brain tumor," Starnes wrote. "Tomorrow, I am having surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. If all goes well, I will begin chemotherapy in the weeks to come."

Starnes said he had received a large volume of messages since the initial scans and used the Facebook post to respond collectively. "I have received numerous calls, texts, messages, etc, in the last week - it would be impossible to respond to all of them, so I wanted to say here: thank you to everyone for the prayers and kind words," he wrote. "My family and I greatly appreciate each and every one of them."

Starnes has served as a General Sessions Court Judge in Hamilton County for nearly 14 years. In his post, he said the role had been meaningful to him and expressed gratitude to county residents for the opportunity to serve. He also said he planned to fight the tumor and return to work if his health allowed.