News
January 17, 2014
The Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission met Friday, January 17 and voted to recommend the following justices and judges for retention in the August 2014 general election:Supreme Court:Justice Cornelia A. ClarkJustice Sharon G. LeeChief Justice Gary R. WadeCourt of Appeals:Judge Andy D.…
January 17, 2014
The Governor’s Commission for Judicial Appointments will consider three applicants when it meets next week in McKenzie to select nominees for the chancery court vacancy in the 24th Judicial District, which serves Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry counties. The vacancy was created by the…
January 13, 2014
The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation announced today that an anonymous donor has made the largest single gift in the history of the organization in honor and memory of the late Donald Franklin Paine, a past president of the Tennessee Bar Association.The foundation, which offers need-…
January 8, 2014
The Knoxville offices of the Tennessee Supreme and Appellate courts and clerk will be closed until Monday, January 13 because of a water main break outside the court building on Main Street.The building requires a water supply to heat the space and repairs are expected to take several days. Because…
January 6, 2014
The Governor’s Commission for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications for the chancellor vacancy in the 24th Judicial District Chancery Court (Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry counties). The vacancy was created by the death of the Honorable Ron E. Harmon.Any interested…
January 2, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Monday, December 30 that Marcus Pope, who committed a robbery after being invited inside the Memphis residence of Carl Brown, could not also be convicted of a burglary.In August of 2010, Brown, known as the “Candy Man,” sold snacks and soft drinks through a window…
December 27, 2013
Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Brandon O. Gibson of Crockett County to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section. She will replace Judge David R. Farmer upon the expiration of his term on August 31, 2014.Gibson, 38, has been in private practice at the Pentecost & Glenn law firm in…
December 23, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a Gatlinburg-area time-share salesperson is not entitled to unemployment benefits.The salesperson had worked for several years selling time shares at Westgate Smoky Mountains under an independent contractor agreement. In 2009, Westgate terminated that…
December 23, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously ruled today that cabinet-level state officials have absolute immunity from defamation claims for speech that arises out of the performance of their official duties.Zoyle Jones, a former employee of the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), sued the State…
December 23, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the conviction of a man who said he wasn’t aware that his guilty plea would result in his deportation or adversely affect his future eligibility to return legally to the United States.In 2011, Juan Alberto Blanco Garcia, an alien illegally residing in the…
December 20, 2013
In March of 2006, the body of Jamil Branhan was found at his Nashville apartment. His death was caused by two gunshot wounds to the head. After several months of investigation, police arrested James Allen Pollard, who was tried and found guilty of first degree murder and especially aggravated…
December 19, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a tenant seeking to appeal a court decision regarding possession of a rental unit is not required to post a bond equal to a year’s rent if that tenant no longer occupies the property.The case concerns a landlord and tenant arrangement in Nashville. The…
December 19, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that an insurance company properly relied upon a juvenile court order prior to paying a claim to the financial guardian of a minor beneficiary.In 2002, David Ray Hood purchased a $100,000 life insurance policy from The Old Line Life Insurance Company of America…
December 19, 2013
Supreme Court Justice William C. Koch, Jr. informed Governor Bill Haslam today that he intends to retire from the Court in July 2014 to become the dean of the Nashville School of Law.At the time of his retirement, Justice Koch will have served on the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court for 30…
December 18, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a customer injured by another customer in the parking lot of the Red Bank Wal-Mart store can proceed with her lawsuit against the store.The case involves Jolyn Cullum, who had shopped at the store and was placing her groceries in the trunk of her car…
December 18, 2013
Governor Bill Haslam has named Court of Appeals Judge Holly M. Kirby to the Tennesse Supreme Court.Judge Kirby, of Memphis, will take the seat of Justice Janice M. Holder after Holder retires September 1, 2014. Judge Kirby has been a member of the Court of Appeals since 1995 and was the first woman…
December 17, 2013
The Supreme Court has held that a group opposed to a state-issued water pollution permit acted prematurely when they took their case to court, and should first complete appeals to the Tennessee Board of Water Quality, Oil, and Gas.In 2008, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation…
December 12, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a suit voluntarily dismissed before a change in the law then filed again after the new law goes into effect can follow the extended deadlines provided for in the new law.In this case, Hong Samouth Rajvongs filed a lawsuit in Rutherford County against his…
December 11, 2013
William E. “Bill” Young, former Solicitor General of Tennessee, has joined the Administrative Office of the Courts as the Administrative Director.Young was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court in September to direct an office of approximately 75 people who provide administrative support to the…
December 5, 2013
The Tennessee Judiciary Museum is celebrating its one-year anniversary with several new exhibits and the launch of a website devoted to the museum.The museum has added exhibits detailing several historic cases that have worked their way through the courts of Tennessee. The various exhibits are…