News

July 14, 2017
Five judges were honored on July 12, 2017 in the Atrium at the City-County Building in Knoxville with a portrait unveiling.  They were honored for their more than 130 combined years of service on the bench to the judiciary. The five honored were: Retired Circuit Court Judges Rosenbalm, Swann,…

July 12, 2017
In 2015, the Tennessee Supreme Court established the Indigent Representation Task Force to study and make recommendations concerning many issues surrounding Tennessee’s system of representation for indigent parties in criminal and juvenile matters.  On April 3, 2017, after a listening tour…

July 12, 2017
The Administrative Office of the Courts has approximately $200,000 in grant funding available for the development or continuation of initiatives that will address the needs of divorcing, divorced, or never married self-represented litigants and focus on services to help them resolve any or all…

July 11, 2017
Tennessee, like many states across the country, has been experiencing a continued shortage of court reporters to record trials in our criminal courts. In addition, specialized court reporter schools have all closed in Tennessee and yet there are good-paying jobs for qualified, trained reporters.…

July 11, 2017
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) annually hosts the world's largest conference on treatment courts and criminal justice reform. With more than 30 tracks and hundreds of sessions, this conference provides the training needed on critical topics affecting local courts. This…

July 11, 2017
The 2017 Tennessee Judicial Conference (TJC) recently held its annual conference in coordination with the Tennessee Bar Association in Kingsport.  This year, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge and President of the TJC, Robert H. Montgomery, Jr. presented a Presidential Award to Sen.…

July 10, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is now accepting applications for the Circuit Court Judge vacancy in the 11thJudicial District – Hamilton County. The Honorable W. Neil Thomas, III has informed the governor that he will retire effective October 5, 2017.Any interested applicant must be a licensed…

July 7, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is now accepting applications for the Circuit Court Judge vacancy in the 4th Judicial District – Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier Counties. The Honorable Ben W. Hooper II has informed the governor that he will retire effective August 31, 2017.Any interested…

July 6, 2017
A ceremony and reception will be held Saturday, July 8, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2nd Saturday Legal Aid Clinic, or 2SLAC, serving the Memphis community.The event will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.Retired Tennessee Supreme Court…

July 6, 2017
Nashville, Tenn. – The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is now accepting applications for the Circuit Court Judge vacancy in the 4th Judicial District – Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier Counties. The Honorable Ben W. Hooper II has informed the governor that he will retire effective August 31,…

July 5, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that a prospective plaintiff who provides pre-suit notice of a healthcare liability claim to a single healthcare provider is not required to provide a medical authorization compliant with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996,…

July 3, 2017
Judge Childers was elected Circuit Court Judge in 1984, and re-elected in 1990, 1998, 2006 and 2014, and served as Presiding Judge of the 30th Judicial District, after being elected by fellow state court judges, from 1989-1990 and 1997-1998.  In addition, he has served as Special Judge of the…

June 29, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - Kids involved in crimes are getting a lot of attention in Tennessee. Some of it came right from the top Wednesday with what is called a Blue Ribbon task force.The task force in Nashville is made up of lawmakers, prosecutors, and child advocates. Every aspect of kids and…

June 29, 2017
Tennesseans just gained an important ally in their effort to reform the criminal justice system with the newly formed bipartisan Ad Hoc Tennessee Blue Ribbon Task Force on Juvenile Justice, chaired by Speaker of the House Beth Harwell and Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris. The Task Force is…

June 28, 2017
Members of the Three Branch Institute core team gather in Nashville to discuss ways to improve child safety and fatalities.This gathering will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss and learn about ways to strengthen, coordinate, and enhance efforts to promote the safety of children…

June 27, 2017
Replacement for retiring Judge R. Jerry BeckNASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed William K. Rogers of Kingsport as circuit court judge for the Second Judicial District, which serves Sullivan County.Rogers, 59, replaces Judge R. Jerry Beck, whose retirement is effective June 30…

June 26, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider five applicants when it meets Friday, July 21, 2017 in Memphis to select nominees for the Circuit Court vacancy in the 30th Judicial District – Shelby County.The vacancy was created by the announcement by Judge Robert L. Childers that he will retire…

June 19, 2017
The Tennessee Bar Association and its Executive Committee have chosen Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr. as the 2017 recipient of the Justice Frank F. Drowota, III Outstanding Judicial Service Award. He was honored on Friday, June 16, 2017, with his family at the Tennessee Bars Association's 2017 Annual…

June 16, 2017
The Supreme Court has reinstated an aggravated stalking conviction of a defendant for knowingly violating an order of protection.  The Court reversed a Court of Criminal Appeals decision that there was insufficient evidence for the jury to have convicted the defendant on the aggravated…

June 13, 2017
TheTennessee Bar Association and its Executive Committee have chosen Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr. as the 2017 recipient of the Justice Frank F. Drowota, III Outstanding Judicial Service Award. This award is given to a judge or judicial branch official of a federal, state or local court in Tennessee…