News
December 20, 2019
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated the conviction for presenting a false or fraudulent insurance claim of the defendant, Reuben Eugene Mitchell.In 2011, the defendant applied to Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company for a homeowner’s insurance policy. …
December 19, 2019
The Tennessee judiciary applauded the release of the state’s first comprehensive criminal justice reform package today. Governor Bill Lee’s Criminal Justice Investment Task Force released the comprehensive package of data-driven policy recommendations for upcoming legislative sessions that seek to…
December 19, 2019
At this year's annual holiday luncheon of the Appellate Court's Eastern Division, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee presented awards to the following state employees for their years of service: Carlos Yunsan (5 years), Cindy Padilla (20 years), Vanessa Johnson (25 years), and Andrea…
December 18, 2019
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court Judge in the 16th Judicial District, which covers Rutherford and Cannon Counties. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable Royce Taylor, effective March 3, 2020.Qualified applicants must be licensed…
December 17, 2019
Two Tennessee judges who preside over recovery courts and two state legislators were recently recognized for their work helping people with substance use disorders at the Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals’ 15th Annual Recovery Court Conference in Franklin.
Sumner County General…
December 13, 2019
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider six applicants for the circuit court judge vacancy in the 15th judicial district, which covers Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, and Wilson counties on January 8, 2020 at 9 a.m. The public hearing will be held at the Wilson County Courthouse located…
December 13, 2019
Jury instructions often play a vital role in every criminal trial. The Tennessee Court Talk podcast recently sat down with three members of the Tennessee Judicial Conference Pattern Jury Instructions Criminal Committee to discuss how the pattern instructions are developed, how changes are…
December 12, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed three new members to serve on the Access to Justice Commission beginning on April 1, 2020. The three new members are Monty Burks, Ph.D., Amber D. Floyd, Esq., and Professor Joy Radice. “The Tennessee Supreme Court is honored these individuals have agreed…
December 10, 2019
Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee appointed Kyle Hixson to serve as a criminal court judge for the 6th Judicial District to fill the Honorable Bob McGee’s vacancy. The 6th Judicial District Criminal Court covers Knox County."Kyle is a dedicated public servant with an extensive background in…
December 5, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that the fair report privilege does not apply to a nonpublic, one-on-one conversation between a newspaper reporter and a detective of a county sheriff’s department, who also served as the public information officer for the sheriff’s department.The decision…
December 4, 2019
The Tennessee Court Talk podcast recently hosted several of the state’s leading experts on the intersection between human trafficking and domestic violence. While many think of human trafficking in terms of victims being “taken” or “snatched” and sold, the reality is most victims are trafficked by…
December 3, 2019
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider six applicants for the circuit court judge vacancy in the 15th judicial district, which covers Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, and Wilson counties. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Honorable John D. Wootten, Jr.The applicants are:…
December 2, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed J. William “Bill” Coley to serve as the next Chair of its Access to Justice Commission. Coley joined the Commission in 2016 and has led the Commission’s Faith-Based Initiatives Committee over the past four years. Under his leadership, the Tennessee Faith…
November 27, 2019
Fourth Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Duane Slone was in a jubilant mood. He had just been presented with one of the nation’s highest judicial honors by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts in the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.As he, his immediate family…
November 27, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that the 2016 amendments to the theft grading statute are applicable when sentencing a defendant even where the offense occurred before the effective date of the amendments if sentencing occurred after the effective date.The Public Safety Act of 2016, which took…
November 22, 2019
Judge Kathryn Olita learned early on how adoption can change lives.
When she was just a few months old, her father, Lt. Kendall McKinnis, was killed while serving in the United States Air Force in Saudi Arabia. After this tragic loss, she and her mother, Anne, left Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma…
November 22, 2019
It was a packed house in the Division II courtroom of Nashville’s Justice A.A. Birch Building recently, as friends, family members, and former colleagues gathered for a portrait unveiling of retired Criminal Court Judge J. Randall Wyatt, Jr.Judge Wyatt was the longest serving criminal court judge…
November 21, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court has reversed a Court of Criminal Appeals decision suppressing evidence seized pursuant to a probation search. The defendant, Angela Hamm, was sentenced to six years for manufacturing a controlled substance. The trial judge suspended her sentence and placed her on…
November 20, 2019
Following more than two years of field hearings, cross-disciplinary partnerships and in-depth study of best practices, national judicial leaders have established a comprehensive approach for judges to tackle the crisis of addiction. According to the final report of the National Judicial Opioid Task…
November 19, 2019
The opioid epidemic is an unprecedented public health crisis that affects millions of families nationwide each year, costing our nation over $1 trillion to date. Tennessee Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts Director Deborah Taylor Tate has been a national leader in identifying the…