News
March 11, 2009
From the desk of Governor Bredesen, March 11, 2009 NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen has appointed David E. Durham of Lebanon, Tenn., as criminal court judge in the 15th Judicial District. The vacancy was created by the death of Judge J.O. Bond in December. The 15th Judicial District is composed…
March 13, 2009
Oath of Office to be Administered by Governor Phil BredesenGovernor Phil Bredesen will administer the oath of office to Justice Sharon G. Lee in a formal investiture ceremony on Friday, March 20, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in the Supreme Court courtroom in Knoxville. This ceremony is open to everyone.…
March 23, 2009
Governor Phil Bredesen recently named attorney Philip Smith to the Bench of the Circuit Court for the 20th Judicial District in Tennessee, comprising Davidson County. Governor Bredesen will perform the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, March 30th at 2:30 p.m. in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the…
April 1, 2009
On Friday, April 3, 2009, the Tennessee Supreme Court will adopt three amendments to the rules governing the practice of law that will encourage more lawyers to volunteer to provide pro bono legal services to Tennesseans who need legal assistance but cannot afford it. These new rules are in…
April 3, 2009
The Tennessee Supreme Court today announced the creation of a new statewide Access to Justice Commission to help address the growing civil legal needs crisis in Tennessee. The ten-member Commission is chaired by Margaret Behm, a Nashville lawyer with Dodson Parker Behm & Caparella, PC who has…
April 7, 2009
Lorrie K. Ridder To Fill Vacancy In The 30th Judicial DistrictNASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen today appointed Lorrie Ridder of Memphis, Tenn., to the Tennessee Circuit Court for the 30th Judicial District, Division IV. Ridder will fill a vacancy created by the death of Judge Rita Stotts in…
April 9, 2009
Judge John A. Turnbull has announced his resignation, effective June 15, 2009, as Circuit Court Judge in the 13th Judicial District (Clay, Cumberland, Dekalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White counties). Judge Turnbull was first appointed to the bench in August of 1989. He received his legal…
May 4, 2009
NASHVILLE - The Administrative Office of the Courts is pleased to announce the addition of Laura Click as public information officer for the Tennessee Court System. Click comes to the AOC from the Department of Finance and Administration where she served as the communications director for Project…
May 13, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Marlon Duane Kiser for the first degree premeditated murder of Hamilton County Deputy Sheriff Donald Bond. Kiser shot Deputy Bond several times with a high-powered assault rifle when Bond interrupted Kiser’s arson…
May 21, 2009
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia Clark spoke to the graduates of the 21st Judicial District Drug Court on May 21. The 21st Judicial District Drug Court, which covers Williamson, Hickman, Perry and Lewis Counties, helps non-violent drug offenders recover from substance abuse.Graduates of the…
May 27, 2009
On May 27, 2009, the Tennessee Supreme Court brought the SCALES program to Tennessee Boys State for the seventh consecutive year. SCALES, which stands for Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students, is a Tennessee Supreme Court initiative designed to educate high school students about the…
May 29, 2009
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee spoke to hundreds of high school juniors at both the 2009 Boys State and Girls State programs.On May 27, she addressed more than 600 students at Tennessee Boys State, which was held at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. During her remarks, she shared…
June 5, 2009
During the recent graduation season, Chief Justice Janice Holder and Justice Gary Wade addressed hundreds of Tennessee students during their commencement addresses.On May 23, Chief Justice Holder addressed the graduates of Nashville School of Law. In her speech, Chief Justice Holder applauded the…
June 8, 2009
On June 4, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee addressed more than 80 women at the East Tennessee Regional Economic Summit for Women. The event, which was held at Maryville College, was geared to help women learn about reaching their financial goals for their businesses and personal lives.…
June 11, 2009
In a formal investiture ceremony on June 5, David E. Durham was sworn in by Gov. Phil Bredesen as the criminal court judge for the 15th judicial district, which is comprised of Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. Durham was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of…
June 5, 2009
NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen today appointed Amy V. Hollars of Livingston, Tenn., to the Tennessee Circuit Court for the Thirteenth Judicial District. Hollars will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John A. Turnbull. The Thirteenth Judicial District is composed of Clay,…
June 25, 2009
Trial and appellate judges from across the state gathered in Memphis, Tenn., for their annual judicial conference. The conference featured more than 11 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars with topics ranging from the legal implications of electronic medical records to internet crimes…
June 25, 2009
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) awarded nearly $220,000 in grants from the Parent Education and Mediation Fund (PEMF) to organizations that provide court-related assistance to low-income parties. The 16 organizations that received funding for the 2009-2010 fiscal year provide services…
June 26, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – An additional $5 million has been added to the state’s indigent defense fund to pay remaining claims for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. The supplemental funding comes as part of the $29.4 billion budget signed by Governor Bredesen Thursday. The $5 million in supplemental funding will…
June 26, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – The Administrative Office of the Courts is now accepting applications for the new Judicial Nominating Commission, which will review and recommend applicants for vacancies on the appellate and state trial courts for the governor’s consideration. The Judicial Nominating Commission…