News
February 22, 2021
Former 30th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge James C. Beasley, Jr. passed away on February 21, 2021. Judge Beasley served the people of Shelby County for 22 years as a judge, from 1995 until his retirement in 2017. Prior to his judicial career, Judge Beasley served as an assistant district…
February 18, 2021
The Jackson Supreme Court Building and the Nashville Supreme Court Building will both remain closed on Friday, February 19, 2021, due to continued inclement weather. These closures include the Appellate Court Clerk's Office in both buildings. E-Filing will remain available. In addition, questions…
February 17, 2021
The Jackson Supreme Court Building and the Nashville Supreme Court Building will both remain closed on Thursday, February 18, 2021, due to continued inclement weather. These closures include the Appellate Court Clerk's Office in both buildings. E-Filing will remain available. In addition,…
February 16, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court today ordered that the July 2021 bar exam be held as a remote, computer-based test because of continued concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. The February 2021 bar exam is also being held remotely. The July 2020 exam was originally canceled and moved to October, and then…
February 16, 2021
The Jackson Supreme Court Building and the Nashville Supreme Court Building will both remain closed on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, due to continued inclement weather. These closures include the Appellate Court Clerk's Office in both buildings. E-Filing will remain available. In addition,…
February 16, 2021
When most people walk into the courthouse in Lawrenceburg, they likely brush right past a mural representing one of the most significant early civil rights victories in a southern courtroom. The “Justice Served” mural depicts the story of the criminal case that followed the Columbia “race riot” in…
February 15, 2021
The Jackson Supreme Court Building and the Nashville Supreme Court Building will both be closed on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, due inclement weather conditions. These closures include the Appellate Court Clerk's Office in both buildings. E-Filing will remain available. In addition, questions may…
February 12, 2021
The Tennessee Judiciary mourns the loss of retired Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jerry L. Smith, who passed away on February 12, 2021.Judge Smith was appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals in 1995 by Governor Don Sundquist. He was elected to a full term on the bench in 1996 and was reelected…
February 12, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an Order that will ease the current restrictions on in-person proceedings starting in March. This is the ninth Order the Court has issued related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Court’s December 22, 2020, and January 15, 2021 Orders, issued during the height…
February 8, 2021
Brig. Gen. and 14th Judicial District Circuit Judge L. Craig Johnson, whose long and distinguished service in the military culminated with his appointment as Commander of the Tennessee State Guard in 2016, has retired from the Tennessee Military Department.According to the Department, Judge Johnson…
February 5, 2021
Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court, based on legal errors and insufficient evidence, unanimously reversed a Shelby County Chancery Court’s decision to terminate a father’s parental rights and dismissed the petition for termination filed by the mother and stepfather.In Tennessee, a court may…
February 2, 2021
The Board of Judicial Conduct has entered into a deferred discipline agreement with Stewart County Judicial Commissioner Joyce Tomlinson. Commissioner Tomlinson will resign her position before February 14, 2021. Read…
January 26, 2021
David William Haines, Jr., who served as general counsel for the Administrative Office of the Courts from 2007 to 2015, passed away on January 16, 2021. The general counsel position at the AOC is a division director who provides trusted legal counsel related to court administration, rules, and…
January 26, 2021
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee’s Health Care Liability Act (“HCLA”) requires defendants to provide plaintiffs with written notice when plaintiffs sue the wrong defendant but does not provide a penalty or a remedy when defendants fail to comply with…
January 25, 2021
Earlier this month, longtime Clarksville attorney Sharon Massey Grimes was appointed to the Montgomery County General Sessions and Juvenile Court bench to fill the unexpired term of her late husband Judge Ray Grimes, who passed away in November after serving as a judge for 22 years.The Montgomery…
January 22, 2021
In a case it called a “cautionary tale,” the Tennessee Supreme Court held for the first time today that lawyers who make unethical statements may receive harsher discipline if they choose to post the statements publicly on social media. In this case, a Nashville attorney posted comments on Facebook…
January 19, 2021
The Appellate Court Clerk's office is experiencing intermittent issues with its phone system in Nashville. If you are unable to reach the Clerk's office in Nashville by phone, you can reach the office by email at appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov…
January 19, 2021
While Tennessee courts have remained open and operational over the entire course of the COVID-19 pandemic, their working methods have in many instances changed to account for greater health and safety precautions.A panel of three judges, one from each of the state’s grand divisions, recently…
January 15, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an Order extending the suspension of most in-person hearings to March 31, 2021. Court clerk offices remain accessible, the Order provides a list of exceptions for emergency situations,…
January 14, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld one conviction of a defendant for money laundering charges stemming from a drug deal. However, the Court reversed a second conviction, holding that acceptance of payment for fronted drugs, standing alone, was not sufficient to uphold that conviction.A…