News
February 26, 2018
The Tennessee Judicial Conference and the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference have adopted new minimum courtroom security standards to promote the security and safety of the members of the judiciary, court personnel, and the public. The standards were last updated in the 1990s.
In the…
February 16, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred two Nashville attorneys, Sean K. Hornbeck and Robin K. Barry, revoking their law licenses. The Court rejected both attorneys’ requests to make the disbarment retroactive in order to enable them to apply for reinstatement of their law licenses sooner.
In the…
February 16, 2018
The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury issued the FY 2016-17 Tennessee Judicial Weighted Caseload Study on February 14. The study estimated a net deficit of 9.76 judges across the state based on the FY 2017 data. In the map right, the counties in red show a deficit while the counties in blue…
February 15, 2018
Day Reporting Centers, in conjunction with Community Resource Centers, are taking a new approach to rehabilitating convicted offenders within Tennessee by offering established programs that aim to provide necessary skills and resources for participants. These extensive and thorough programs allow…
February 14, 2018
An electrical fire that broke out in September at the Bradley County Courthouse has forced the county offices to conduct business in temporary locations. The Cleveland Fire Department received the emergency call on Saturday morning, September 30th at 9 a.m., when citizens reported seeing smoke…
February 6, 2018
The case David R. Smith v. The Tennessee National Guard, originally scheduled for oral argument on February 7, 2018, in Nashville, has been continued because of a last-minute motion. Oral argument has been rescheduled for April 4, 2018, in Jackson. The Order of Continuance is available…
February 6, 2018
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that a taxpayer must pay disputed municipal taxes under protest before suing for a refund.
The city of Morristown, based on a state statute, adopted an ordinance imposing an inspection fee on licensed alcoholic beverage retailers. The city…
February 5, 2018
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed James L. Gass of Dandridge as Circuit Court Judge in the 4th Judicial District, filling a temporary appointment that had been made last October. On October 18, Haslam appointed Gass as special judge to fill a temporary vacancy due to the illness of Judge…
February 5, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear four cases on February 7, 2018, in Nashville, TN. The details of the cases are as follows:
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
State of Tennessee v. Westley A. Albright - This case involves a defendant who entered a “no contest” plea to the charge of soliciting a…
February 2, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has amended the eligibility requirements for graduates of law schools in foreign jurisdictions who apply to take the Tennessee bar examination.Under the revisions to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7, section 7.01, applicants who have graduated from a law school in a…
January 24, 2018
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced he has appointed a steering committee of leaders from federal, state and local governments, industry, academia, environmental advocacy groups and public utilities to develop a statewide plan for future water availability in Tennessee. The plan, TN H2O, will…
January 22, 2018
On Monday, January 22, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced the state’s new opioid plan – Tennessee Together, a three-pronged initiative to combating the epidemic. This aggressive plan focuses on three approaches: prevention, treatment, and law enforcement. House Speaker Beth Harwell and…
January 19, 2018
The Administrative Office of the Courts will modernize its disbursement system for indigent representation payments to attorneys, interpreters, expert witnesses, and investigators in February 2018. The new AOC Claims and Payment (ACAP) system will replace the Indigent Claim Entry (ICE) system and…
January 18, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court set an execution date of August 9, 2018, for Billy Ray Irick, who was convicted of the 1985 murder and rape of Paula Kay Dyer, age 7, in Knox County, Tennessee. The Court received notice from the State Attorney General on January 11, 2018, that the United States Supreme…
January 18, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed Michael L. Forrester, John L. Farringer IV, and Alexander McVeagh to serve on the Access to Justice Commission. They will serve a three-year term beginning on April 1, 2018 and expiring on March 31, 2021.The Access to Justice Commission aims to provide…
January 16, 2018
Because of weather conditions, oral arguments scheduled for the Court of Appeals on January 17, 2018, in the Jackson Supreme Court Building and the Knoxville Supreme Court Building have been cancelled. All parties will be notified when the arguments are rescheduled. In addition, the Knoxville…
December 12, 2017
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) began the process of modernizing a cornerstone part of communities statewide by awarding 66 Tennessee counties a total of $2 million to improve courthouse security. The AOC received 70 grant applications requesting $5,769,923 in funds during…
January 11, 2018
Judge Richard H. Dinkins was awarded the John C. Tune Public Service Award at the Nashville Bar Association’s Annual Banquet in December. The award—the highest honor a member of the NBA can receive—recognizes a distinguished member of the legal community who makes outstanding contributions to the…
January 10, 2018
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed Jennifer S. Nichols of Memphis as Criminal Court Judge for the 30th Judicial District, which serves Shelby County.Nichols, 55, replaces Judge James C. Beasley, Jr., who retired effective December 31.Nichols has been Deputy District Attorney General in…
January 9, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously reinstated a jury verdict finding a Knox County defendant, LaJuan Harbison, guilty of three counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and three counts of employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.The convictions arose out of a shootout…