News
September 12, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled today that a failure to promptly return proof of service of process doesn’t prevent a lawsuit from meeting the time deadline for filing suit so long as process is actually served within the appropriate time period.Service of process is the act of giving legal…
September 11, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court announced today the appointment of Bill Young as the next administrative director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.Young, who has served as solicitor general in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office for more than two years, will take the helm at the AOC later…
September 10, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that a trial court erred by failing to follow appropriate procedures after learning that a juror contacted a witness via Facebook during a murder trial.William Darelle Smith was charged with the 2007 shooting death of Zurisaday Villanueva. During Mr. Smith’s…
September 9, 2013
Leaders from the access to justice community met in Knoxville last week with representatives from the six law schools in Tennessee to learn about the state of pro bono in Tennessee.
About 40 people participated in the Law School Pro Bono & Public Interest Conference program, including Supreme…
September 6, 2013
A Tennessee Supreme Court ruling today clarifies that parents and grandparents must satisfy the same legal standards in disputes over modifications to existing court-ordered grandparent visitation.In the Court’s unanimous Opinion, a parent or grandparent asking a court to modify or terminate court-…
September 6, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that persons found in criminal contempt under the general contempt statute have not been convicted of a criminal offense and may not obtain post-conviction relief from such criminal contempt findings.Persons convicted of offenses defined as crimes by state…
September 5, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has added a provision to Supreme Court Rule 13 that will permit the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) to deduct unpaid costs from attorneys’ entitlement to compensation for indigent defense.Recently, the BPR reported that a small number of Tennessee attorneys…
September 3, 2013
A rule regulating the use of recording equipment, which is being used in only one Tennessee courtroom, has been updated by the Tennessee Supreme Court to reflect changes in technology.Supreme Court Rule 26 outlines procedures for recording trial court proceedings and includes provisions for…
August 30, 2013
A fund that all Tennessee attorneys financially support will now offer even more protection to those clients that may have suffered a financial loss as a result of the dishonest acts of any member of the profession.“This fund is now supported entirely by Tennessee lawyers –all willing to take…
August 30, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted substantial changes to the rule that governs the discipline of attorneys in this state.Supreme Court Rule 9 is one of nearly 60 rules that the Court enforces regarding everything from how court records are kept to rules of professional conduct. The changes to…
August 30, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated a Shelby County jury’s verdict awarding damages for the injuries a six-year-old boy sustained in a car wreck.In January of 2002, Billy Meals was riding with his father and grandfather in his grandfather’s car. Billy was in the backseat restrained with a…
August 29, 2013
Tennessee held its first ever Veterans Treatment Court graduations this week, as eight people completed the innovative program designed to help veterans and active service members.The graduations took place in the Clarksville courtroom of Judge Kenneth Goble, Jr. and in Memphis in Judge Bill…
August 28, 2013
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Chancellor Arnold B. Goldin to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section. Goldin will replace Judge Alan E. Highers, who will retire at the conclusion of his current term.“I am deeply honored by the governor’s confidence in me,” Goldin said.…
August 27, 2013
Criminal Court Judge Robert H. Montgomery, Jr. has been appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Eastern Section, by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.“I am honored and humbled by the trust that the governor has placed in me,” Montgomery told the governor’s office. “I look forward to serving the…
August 26, 2013
After seven years leading the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts and 27 years in state government, Elizabeth (Libby) Sykes has announced she will retire by the end of the year.“Libby Sykes has enjoyed a remarkable career in her service to the State of Tennessee, especially during her…
August 26, 2013
Attorney W. Neal McBrayer, of Brentwood, has been appointed to fill the vacancy in the Tennessee Court of Appeals Middle Section created by the retirement of Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell, who revealed earlier this year she will not seek re-election in 2014.Gov. Bill Haslam announced his…
August 20, 2013
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of a workers’ compensation law that gives priority to the opinion of an independent medical examiner for the purpose of determining the disability rating from a work-related injury.
In 2008, William Mansell injured…
August 19, 2013
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that the Right to Farm Act does not bar a homeowner’s nuisance lawsuit against a farm that hosted amplified music concerts.Velda Shore retired to a subdivision in rural Blount County in 2003. The subdivision was adjacent to Maple Lane Farms,…
August 16, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion, today upheld a trial court’s dismissal of DUI and other charges against a McMinnville woman because a video recording of the woman’s stop and arrest was lost.In November 2010, a McMinnville police officer pulled over Angela M. Merriman because…
August 16, 2013
In February 2013, the Supreme Court launched an extensive recognition program to honor all attorneys volunteering at least 50 hours of pro bono service annually. Attorneys meeting the Court’s minimum goal of 50 pro bono hours annually will be named “Attorneys for Justice” by the Supreme Court.A key…