News
August 13, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an Order taking jurisdiction of the appeal in a lethal injection protocol challenge case, which was originally filed in the 20th judicial district by multiple death row inmates and appealed to the Court of Appeals.…
August 13, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the 60-day suspension of Brentwood attorney Michael Gibbs Sheppard from the practice of law.
Mr. Sheppard’s suspension was based on his failure, over a four-year period, to maintain and monitor client funds in his law firm’s trust account. This resulted in…
August 10, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court judge in the 22nd judicial district, which covers Giles, Lawrence, Maury, and Wayne Counties. This vacancy was created by the upcoming retirement of the Honorable Robert L. Jones, who will end his service…
August 8, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met today, Wednesday, August 8, 2018 to consider seven candidates for the Circuit Court vacancy in the 16th Judicial District – Cannon and Rutherford Counties.This new judicial position was created by Chapter 974 of the Public Acts of 2018 and is effective…
August 7, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met today, Tuesday, August 7, 2018 to consider five candidates for the Circuit Court vacancy in the 21st Judicial District – Hickman, Lewis, Perry and Williamson Counties. Terry R. Malone notified the Commission on August 6, 2018 that he had withdrawn his name for…
August 7, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has reversed part of a Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision suppressing evidence in a case involving individuals on supervised release and has affirmed the suppression of evidence against a third party who resided with them. Janet Stanfield, who was…
August 6, 2018
A majority of the Tennessee Supreme Court has denied death row inmate, Billy Ray Irick, a stay of execution pending the resolution of his appeal of an unsuccessful challenge to the State’s lethal injection protocol. Mr. Irick is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, August 9, 2018.Mr. Irick was…
August 3, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission has released its fifth strategic plan, covering 2018 through 2020, for improving access to justice in Tennessee. The plan furthers the Commission’s goals of educating the public on existing resources, encouraging and creating new…
August 1, 2018
Court reporters play an integral role in our justice system, but their numbers have been on a steady decline in recent years. Veteran court reporters are retiring and a younger generation has not stepped up to meet the need, in no small part because many schools that once offered court reporting…
July 30, 2018
Incarceration can have a negative impact on the mental health of prisoners dealing with mental illness. Mental Health Court seeks to rehabilitate offenders with mental illness by getting them the treatment they need outside of a prison environment. The Tennessean recently took a look at this unique…
July 30, 2018
Telesa Wright was a teenager on a self-destructive path of criminal behavior when she found herself in Judge James C. Beasley’s Memphis courtroom. Now, decades later, Wright reunited with the recently-retired judge, who she credits with helping to turn her life around. Visit…
July 26, 2018
Williamson County resident Judge Timothy Easter has been there.
As a former trial court judge, he has seen the crammed dockets. He has felt the pressure that comes with having to thoughtfully adjudicate a ceaseless flow of cases.
And, even though he currently sits on the Court of Criminal…
July 25, 2018
The Administrative Office of the Courts has approximately $200,000 in grant funding available for organizations to develop, or continue, initiatives that address the legal needs of parents with child support issues. These initiatives may include efforts such as mediation programs, self-help centers…
July 25, 2018
In his nearly eight years in office, Governor Bill Haslam has made an indelible mark on Tennessee’s judicial branch. Not only has he appointed nearly one-third of the state’s trial and appellate judges, but he has also offered consistent, strong support for a number of judicial initiatives aimed at…
July 24, 2018
The Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program is welcoming a familiar face as its new executive director.Ted Rice was recently appointed to the top post at TLAP by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Rice first came to TLAP in 2006 as deputy director. For the past several months he has been serving as interim…
July 23, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider eight applicants when it meets on Wednesday, August 29 in Nashville to select nominees for the criminal court judge vacancy in the 20th judicial district, which covers Davidson County. This vacancy was created by the upcoming retirement of the…
July 23, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider eight applicants when it meets on Tuesday, August 28 in Clarksville to select nominees for the circuit court judge vacancy in the 19th judicial district, which covers Montgomery and Robertson Counties. The position becomes effective September 1, 2018…
July 20, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed a trial court’s decision to exclude certain evidence obtained from a blood sample drawn from the defendant, Angela Faye Daniel. In this case, Daniel was arrested for driving under the influence, and she was transported to a medical facility for a blood…
July 20, 2018
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the convictions of Lindsey Lowe for first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, stemming from the deaths of her newborn twins caused by her smothering the infants shortly after birth. Prior to trial, Lowe moved to suppress…
July 19, 2018
In an appeal from Shelby County Criminal Court, the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s dismissal of a prisoner’s request for a new trial more than 20 years after his original conviction for aggravated rape.In 1998, a Shelby County jury convicted Tommy Nunley of the aggravated rape…