News
April 19, 2021
Savannah Flowers Quintero has joined the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts as its new Pro Bono Coordinator. Quintero comes to the AOC from the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, where she worked as a staff attorney for two years.“I am very excited for the…
April 15, 2021
Uniting for Communities in NeedThe Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission has kicked off its annual Help4TNMonth celebration in April to provide much-needed access to civil legal services to communities in need. The theme of Help4TNMonth 2021 is Uniting Communities in Need, as…
April 16, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the death sentence for Michael Dale Rimmer, convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 1997. This was Mr. Rimmer’s second conviction for the crime, after his original conviction was overturned and a new trial was ordered.The night of February 7, 1997, Ricci…
April 13, 2021
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider six applicants for the circuit court vacancy in the 14th judicial district, which includes Coffee County. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable L. Craig Johnson, effective May 12, 2021.The applicants are:…
April 12, 2021
Judge Jill Bartee Ayers was unanimously confirmed during a joint session of the Tennessee General Assembly as the newest member of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals – Middle Section. Judge Ayers was appointed by Governor Bill Lee on January 12, 2021, after being one of three candidates…
April 9, 2021
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission began accepting applications for a circuit court vacancy in the 10th Judicial District, which covers Bradley, Polk, McMinn, and Monroe counties, on March 25, 2021.After the April 8, 2021 deadline, two candidates had applied, leaving the Commission unable to…
April 8, 2021
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court Judge in the 19th Judicial District, which covers Montgomery and Robertson counties. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable Ross H. Hicks, effective July 1, 2021.Qualified applicants must be…
April 7, 2021
Retired Judge James Kenneth Porter, who served as a circuit court judge in the 4th Judicial District, passed away on April 5, 2021, one day shy of his 87th birthday. Judge Porter retired from the bench in 1993.Judge Porter was first elected as a circuit court judge in 1974. He had previously…
April 6, 2021
One of the state’s most admired and respected jurists, former Court of Appeals Chief Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr., now has a permanent place in a prominent Tennessee courtroom.
A portrait of Judge Susano was unveiled recently in the Knoxville Supreme Court building where he heard countless cases…
April 6, 2021
The Tennessee Judiciary is mourning the recent loss of two employees from the Appellate Court Clerk’s Jackson Office. Mia Ladonna Myles passed away after a brief illness on April 3, 2021, in Jackson, at the age of 54. She served as a deputy clerk in the Appellate Court Clerk’s Office Western…
April 1, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed McKenna Cox of Johnson City as an Access To Justice Commission Member for a three-year term, beginning April 1, 2021. Ms. Cox is a partner at Herndon, Coleman, Brading, & McKee, LLP. She graduated magna cum laude from Wofford College with a Bachelor’s…
April 1, 2021
The reprieve issued by Governor Bill Lee in the capital case matter of Pervis Payne is scheduled to expire on April 9, 2021. Upon expiration of the reprieve, the Tennessee Supreme Court has the authority to reset the execution on a future date. The execution would not take place on April 9, 2021.
April 1, 2021
When looking back at the history of women in the Tennessee judiciary, one often overlooked name is that of the state’s first woman county judge: DeKalb County’s Kate M. Drake. Overall, Judge Drake was the second woman to serve as a judge in the state, assuming the bench in 1931, 11 years after…
March 31, 2021
Judge Bernice Donald, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, recently co-wrote an article in the Commercial Appeal highlighting the powerful contributions of women to the Shelby County bench.Judge Donald is an integral part of that legacy, having become the first African…
March 30, 2021
The Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee today held a confirmation hearing for Judge Jill Bartee Ayers for a seat on the Court of Criminal Appeals Middle Section. Judge Ayers is currently a circuit court judge in the 19th judicial district, which includes Montgomery and Robertson counties. …
March 30, 2021
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court Judge in the 14th Judicial District, which covers Coffee County. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable L. Craig Johnson, effective May 12, 2021.Qualified applicants must be licensed attorneys who…
March 29, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court has two cases set for its March 31, 2021 docket. One case will be heard using livestream video conferencing and can be viewed at www.youtube.com/tncourts/feature, starting at 9 a.m. The other case will be…
March 26, 2021
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a sentence imposed in accordance with a statute that is later declared unconstitutional is voidable, not illegal, within the meaning of Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1.Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1 allows the defendant or the state…
March 26, 2021
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are looking back at some of the historic trailblazers who became Tennessee’s first female judges.
While young people today know only a world where female judges are a regular part of the judicial system, it was not so long ago that women on the bench were a…
March 25, 2021
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District, which covers Bradley, Polk, McMinn, and Monroe Counties. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable Lawrence H. Puckett, effective July 1, 2021.Qualified applicants…