News
December 6, 2012
Access to Justice Commissioner and Dean of the University of Tennessee College of Law Doug Blaze has been named the 2012 recipient of the Deborah Rhode Award.The award is given each year by the Association of American Law Schools to a dean or faculty member who has made an “outstanding…
December 6, 2012
Melinda Rigsby was sworn in Monday as a new magistrate at Davidson County Juvenile Court, filling the position that created by the appointment of Sophia Brown Crawford as judge. Rigsby is a 1977 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, where she earned her bachelor of science degree in…
December 5, 2012
Sandy Garrett, a 20-year veteran of the Tennessee Supreme Court Board of Professional Responsibility has been named chief disciplinary counsel of the organization.“Sandy’s record of service to the legal profession and the public through her work with the BPR makes her uniquely qualified to step…
December 4, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court has launched two in a series of online videos for the public and lawyers as part of its Access to Justice Initiative.The two videos are designed to provide pro bono lawyers with the necessary skills to take on cases that may be outside of their day-to-day practice area.“…
December 3, 2012
Tennessee State Library and Archives staff will carefully move all three versions of the original handwritten Tennessee state Constitutions to the Supreme Court building Tuesday, December 4 in preparation for a five-day public display.The meticulously preserved documents will be removed from a…
December 3, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial court’s judgment that denied a husband’s request for transitional alimony to cushion his adjustment to single life.The case involved Patricia Carlene Mayfield and Phillip Harold Mayfield, who…
November 29, 2012
The 75th Anniversary Celebration of Nashville Supreme Court Building provides a rare opportunity for the public to see the handwritten Constitutions of Tennessee for one week only as part of the opening of the Tennessee Judiciary Museum.To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the building that houses…
November 27, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the three-year sentences for Christine Caudle by applying the abuse of discretion standard of review recently adopted in State of Tennessee v. Susan Renee Bise.In February of 2010, Caudle pled guilty to felony charges of reckless…
November 26, 2012
An investiture ceremony for Judge M. Keith Siskin, Division III Circuit Court Judge for the 16th Judicial District will be held 3 p.m. Friday, November 30 at the Rutherford County Courthouse on the Square.Judge Donna Scott Davenport will administer the oath of office. Siskin fills the vacancy…
November 26, 2012
The Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications for the Chancellor vacancy in the 8th Judicial District Chancery Court (Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties). The vacancy was created by the death of Chancellor Billy Joe White on November 20.Interested applicants…
November 20, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a subsequent contract between parties that shares provisions similar to a previous contract does not necessarily constitute a renewal of the earlier agreement.At issue in BSG, LLC v. Check Velocity, Inc. is Check Velocity’s…
November 20, 2012
The Tennessee legal community is mourning the loss today of Chancellor Billy Joe White, who died November 20, 2012 after a short illness.“Chancellor Billy Joe White served the state in the great tradition of country judges – full of common sense, wise counsel and fair dealing. While his many…
November 19, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that the Chancery Court for Carter County properly disbarred Thomas Ewing Cowan from the practice of law in Tennessee.In 2009, Mr. Cowan pleaded guilty in federal district court to the felony offense of willful attempt to defeat or…
November 19, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld a decision of the Chancery Court for Franklin County to permit the continued development of Cooley’s Rift, a 1,400‑ acre residential development near Monteagle, Tennessee despite objections from some original homeowners to changes in the development plan.…
November 16, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld a trial court’s decision to dismiss a grandmother’s second petition requesting visitation with her granddaughter. In 2009, following the death of her daughter, Jeanette Jackson filed suit in the McNairy County Chancery Court seeking visitation with her…
November 16, 2012
The Judicial Nominating Commission met in Chattanooga today to review the 11 applicants for the Court of Appeals Eastern Section vacancy which serves 13 judicial districts in east Tennessee. The vacancy was created by the retirement of Court of Appeals Judge Herschel P. Franks on December 31, 2012…
November 16, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the disbarment of Knoxville attorney M. Josiah Hoover, III by the Board of Professional Responsibility.In five separate cases, Hoover was found to be negligent in the representation of his clients or otherwise in violation of his…
November 16, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that signing an affidavit of attesting witnesses is not the same as signing a will. In the case before the Court, Mr. Thomas Grady Chastain signed a one-page affidavit of attesting witnesses but failed to sign his separate two-page will…
November 16, 2012
Members of the judiciary and legal profession honored Judge Herschel P. Franks for his years of service to the state judiciary.
Supreme Court Justice Sharon. G. Lee presented a plaque to Judge Franks, who is retiring at the end of the year. Judge Franks has served for more than 42 years, most…
November 15, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a judge may not properly charge an attorney with contempt of court when the behavior neither disrupts the proceeding nor disparages the court, even if the judge believes that the attorney behaved unethically.In 2009…