News
August 7, 2020
On August 6 state/federal primary and state/county general elections were held in Tennessee. The state and county general elections included a number of judicial races. These judicial races were generally to fill the remaining terms of judges who left office early due to retirement or other causes…
August 5, 2020
Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court vacated the temporary injunction entered by the Davidson County Chancery Court, which, in part, required the State to provide an absentee ballot to any eligible voter validly seeking to vote by mail to avoid transmission or contraction of COVID-19 for all…
August 3, 2020
Judge Kristi Davis was sworn in today as Tennessee’s newest member of the Court of Appeals. She was appointed to the Court by Governor Bill Lee just over 60 days ago.Judge Davis, who has been a circuit court judge in the Sixth Judicial District in Knoxville since 2014, is the second female judge to…
July 30, 2020
Today the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission released its 2020 Strategic Plan, setting goals for the Commission to strive to meet over the next two years. The Strategic Plan specifies actions the Commission will take to meet these goals and how it will measure its successes…
July 24, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court today set oral argument for Earle J. Fisher et al v. Tre Hargett et al for July 30 at 10:30 CDT. The case…
July 24, 2020
Faith leaders, judges, attorneys, and other members of Tennessee’s religious and legal communities gathered online recently to discuss ways to work together and expand access to justice in the state. It is estimated that at least 1.3 million Tennesseans at or below the poverty line have civil legal…
July 22, 2020
For decades now, Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Dan H. Michael has been a tireless advocate for the children of Tennessee. Whether serving as executive director of CASA or in various capacities in juvenile court over the years, Judge Michael has always put the best interests of…
July 20, 2020
Tennessee’s many recovery courts play a critical role in reducing recidivism and improving the lives of those with substance use disorders in the state. These intensive court programs give repeat offenders a chance to break the cycle of their addiction and become productive members of society…
July 16, 2020
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court determined that, when analyzing a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, trial counsel’s failure to file a timely motion for new trial does not require a presumption of prejudice, overruling the Court’s previous decision in Wallace v.…
July 14, 2020
The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals and Tennessee Court of Appeals will both continue live-streaming oral arguments this week. Since June, the intermediate appellate courts have live-streamed more than 50 oral arguments to YouTube. The Court of Criminal Appeals has been holding in-person…
July 13, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court today ordered the cancellation of the Uniform Bar Examination in Tennessee scheduled for September 30-October 1, 2020, citing the current trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although stringent public health and safety protocols were planned for the administration of the…
July 9, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an Order requiring all persons entering a courthouse for the purpose of court-related business to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth. The face covering shall be worn at all…
July 6, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court in a unanimous decision has held that acquitted-act evidence, evidence of a prior act for which a defendant was acquitted in a previous trial, may be used against that defendant in a subsequent trial if it meets the requirements of Tennessee Rule of Evidence 404(b).…
July 2, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order today canceling the July 28 -29, 2020 administration of the Uniform Bar Examination in Tennessee. Although stringent public health and safety protocols were planned for the administration of the July 2020 examination, the potential benefits of…
July 1, 2020
Buddy Stockwell has been appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court as the new executive director of the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP). Stockwell comes from south Louisiana where has been a volunteer and program monitor for the state’s Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse since…
June 29, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court today clarified that an appeal of an order of protection issued by a general sessions court must take place within 10 days, and the common law writ of error has been abolished.In the case before the Supreme Court, a general sessions court entered a one-year order of…
June 26, 2020
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts recently awarded over $337,000 in grants from the Parent Education and Mediation Fund (PEMF) and the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) of Tennessee to not-for-profit community organizations across the state.In all, 19 organizations…
June 25, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued the following statement on its commitment to equal justice:The Latin phrase that adorns the seal of the judiciary for the State of Tennessee means, “Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.” In many instances over the past few months, it seemed…
June 24, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued orders in the appeals of Earle J. Fisher et al. vs. Tre Hargett et al. and Benjamin Lay et al v. Mark Goins et al. These cases were first decided in the Chancery Court for Davidson County and involve absentee voting in the state.…
June 23, 2020
Approaching three decades on the bench this September, 26th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Roy B. Morgan, Jr., the incoming president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, has just about seen it all. With both civil and criminal jurisdiction in his West Tennessee district, Judge Morgan has…