News
July 9, 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 6, 2018
Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Edward Riley Anderson has passed away at the age of 85. In his remarkable judicial career, Justice Anderson served three years on the Court of Appeals, 16 years on the Tennessee Supreme Court, and five terms as chief justice. During his tenure on the…
July 3, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Criminal Court judge in the 20th judicial district, which covers Davidson County. This vacancy was created by the upcoming retirement of the Honorable Seth Walker Norman, who will end his service effective August 31, 2018.…
July 3, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court judge in the 19th judicial district, which covers Montgomery and Robertson Counties. The position becomes effective September 1, 2018. The court was created by Chapter 974 of the Public Acts of 2018.
Qualified…
July 2, 2018
For the first time in over 20 years, the Tennessee Supreme Court has ordered an increase in the amount paid to lawyers representing indigent parties in criminal and child welfare cases. This rate increase, a 25 percent hike in the hourly rate paid to lawyers for out-of-court work, was funded by a $…
June 26, 2018
The Supreme Court has overturned the decision of a chancery court, which held that an attorney’s license to practice law should be reinstated.Drayton Beecher Smith, II, a former attorney, agreed to disbarment in conjunction with his 2007 guilty plea to federal charges of receipt and possession of…
June 26, 2018
The Appellate Court Clerk’s new electronic filing system will begin operation on July 9, 2018. A quick link on the Appellate Court Clerk’s webpage will provide access to the new system. “We are happy to announce that the Tennessee appellate courts are joining many other states that have…
June 22, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court concluded the state’s waiver of sovereign immunity for claims brought against it under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), a federal law intended to provide job security for veterans, does not apply to cases that arose …
June 18, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court judge in the 16th Judicial District, which covers Rutherford and Cannon counties. The position becomes effective Sept. 1, 2018. The court was created by Chapter 974 of the Public Acts of 2018.
Qualified applicants…
June 18, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court judge in the 21st Judicial District, which covers Hickman, Lewis, Perry and Williamson Counties. The position becomes effective Sept. 1, 2018. The court was created by Chapter 974 of the Public Acts of 2018.
Qualified…
June 15, 2018
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that when a party to a divorce case violates a statutory injunction and then dies while the case is pending, a trial court may, after considering the equities of the parties, remedy the violation of the injunction.
Under Tennessee Code…
June 12, 2018
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has launched a second round of grants to help make Tennessee’s courthouses safer.
In accordance with Governor Bill Haslam’s budget, the Tennessee General Assembly has appropriated $2 million in funds for court security grants. Last year, similar grants…
June 8, 2018
Nashville, Tenn. – In a case involving dissenting shareholders forced out of a closely held Nashville corporation, the Tennessee Supreme Court has overruled its prior case law and adopted a standard that allows trial courts to use modern methods to determine the “fair value” of the dissenting…
June 8, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the suspension of Knoxville attorney Charles Edward Daniel from the practice of law, but modified the probated three-year suspension to include one year of active suspension.
Mr. Daniel made unauthorized deposits of funds from his law partnership…
June 6, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has unanimously held that after the expiration of the one-year statute of limitations, a plaintiff cannot amend her health care liability suit to substitute a health care provider to which the plaintiff had not given pre-suit notice as required by state law.
The…
June 6, 2018
Two laws recently passed by the Tennessee General Assembly have given the state’s judges new tools to help protect victims of domestic violence.One law, SB1796/HB2033, targets cell phones. Judges can now order wireless telephone service providers to grant domestic violence victims control over…
June 4, 2018
The nation’s opioid epidemic has impacted every courthouse in the country, and judges have diligently been working together to develop innovative solutions involving diversion programs, placement of children left in foster care, model plans for pregnant defendants, and more. Led by Tennessee’…
June 1, 2018
The Tennessee Judiciary was well-represented at the 2018 Conference of Chief Justices/Conference of State Court Administrators Southern Region Civil Justice Summit in Little Rock, Arkansas. Chief Justice Jeff Bivins, Justice Holly Kirby, Judge Deborah C. Stevens, Judge Valerie L. Smith and AOC…
May 30, 2018
Lipscomb University will host the Tennessee Supreme Court this week as part of the American Legion Auxiliary’s Volunteer Girls State program, which provides Tennessee’s high school female leaders the opportunity to experience and learn about civic engagement. On Thursday morning, the…
May 29, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an Order soliciting comments on proposed amendments to Rule 13, which governs appointment, qualifications, and compensation of counsel for indigent defendants. The proposed rule changes are a result of a $9.7 million increase in indigent defense spending passed by…