News
December 10, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court has approved an innovative Alternative Dispute Resolution Plan prepared by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission (ADRC) to assist courts facing a backlog of civil cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many years, mediation has been used to successfully…
December 10, 2020
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court settled a split of authority in the Court of Appeals about the interpretation of a Tennessee statute authorizing termination of parental rights. The Supreme Court held that the statute authorizes termination of parental rights upon clear…
December 8, 2020
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Chancery Court Judge in the 30th Judicial District, which covers Shelby County. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable Walter L. Evans on December 1, 2020.Qualified applicants must be licensed attorneys who are…
December 7, 2020
The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued a supplement to its November 17, 2020 Order that further clarifies the protocols judges, attorneys, court staff, and others should follow when entering a courthouse during the pandemic. The November 17 Order continued the judicial state of emergency and…
December 7, 2020
Statement by the Board of Law ExaminersAs we announced on Friday, the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners is spending additional time verifying the results of the most recent bar exam to ensure each test taker receives the correct score. We anticipate releasing exam results by noon on Wednesday,…
December 4, 2020
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that the rebuttable presumption of acceptance of an insurance policy’s terms by payment of premiums in Tennessee Code Annotated section 56-7-135(b) applies in actions against an insurance agent for failure to procure a policy in…
December 4, 2020
Statement by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners: "The State of Kentucky has announced that, after releasing grades for the online bar assessment, it has discovered a software error that resulted in the misassignment of scores. Because the State of Tennessee administered the same exam and uses the…
December 1, 2020
Twenty-Third Judicial District judges are eagerly anticipating the official opening of the new Dickson County Justice Center on Nov. 30 in Charlotte. The 70,000-square-foot, three-story building will house all of the county’s courts and offer a number of security and technological upgrades to…
November 26, 2020
Judge Raymond Grimes, a general sessions and juvenile judge in Montgomery County, passed away on November 26 after being hospitalized with COVID-19 for several days. He was 73. He was first elected to the bench in 1998 and was reelected multiple times, most recently in 2014. Judge Grimes earned his…
November 25, 2020
Murfreesboro Municipal Judge Ewing Sellers was recently awarded the 2020 Sharon G. Lee Award of Excellence by the Tennessee Municipal Judges Conference. In 2015, Board of Governors created the Sharon G. Lee Award of Excellence to be presented to a municipal judge who has made a significant…
November 24, 2020
At the end of the month, 30th Judicial District Chancellor Walter L. Evans will retire after 22 years serving the people of Shelby County in Chancery Court.The retirement caps off a long and successful career that saw Chancellor Evans spend over two decades in private legal practice before becoming…
November 20, 2020
The Tennessee Municipal Judges Conference recently honored the late Judge John Harrison Lowe with a scholarship at the Nashville School of Law. Judge Lowe passed away in March of 2018. He first became a municipal court judge for the City of Millersville in 1981 and previously served as president…
November 19, 2020
Once a month at Room in the Inn, a homeless services organization in Nashville, criminal defendants with needs most people never have to worry about enter a room on the second floor seeking relief. The defendants are all homeless, and most of them have recently been arrested on charges directly…
November 17, 2020
In response to the increased number of COVID-19 cases in the state, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued an Order today designed to protect all of the participants in the judicial system and the public at large while keeping the courts open and accessible to carry out essential constitutional…
November 12, 2020
For far too many Americans, the opioid epidemic has become an all too familiar tragedy. Friends, colleagues, and family members across the country have had their lives hijacked or lost due to these powerful drugs. While all opioids are dangerous if abused, one drug in recent years has proven to be…
November 12, 2020
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met today, Thursday, November 12, to consider five candidates for the 16th judicial district circuit court vacancy. The 16th judicial district covers Rutherford and Cannon counties. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable David M. Bragg,…
November 11, 2020
America’s service members put everything on the line for their country, and in many cases the sacrifices they make take a toll. Thankfully, active duty service members and veterans in Montgomery County have access to an invaluable resource to help them overcome mental health or substance use issues…
November 10, 2020
Waymon Frederic “Fred” Axley, who served as a criminal court judge in the 30th judicial district for 25 years, entered his eternal home on Friday, November 6, 2020 at his home. A memorial service will be held at Faith Baptist Church, Bartlett, Tennessee on Wednesday, November 11th, at 11 a.m.…
November 5, 2020
Since its inception in 2001, the 21st District Recovery Court has been a blessing for people struggling with substance use disorders. Through the recovery court program, habitual, non-violent offenders are given the opportunity to avoid incarceration, get healthy, and turn their lives around for…
November 4, 2020
Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County General Sessions Court Judge Lynda Jones was recently elected president of the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference. Judge Jones has been a member of the conference since her election to the bench in 2014.Over the course of her judicial career,…