News
December 7, 2023
The Executive Committee of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges issued the following statement on indigent representation:
On behalf of the juvenile court judges and magistrates of our state’s ninety-eight…
December 1, 2023
The Tennessee judiciary is reflecting on the legacy of the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who passed away on December 1, 2023, at the age of 93. Justice O’Connor made history in 1981 when she was the first female appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice O’Connor was also a…
November 30, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases at the University of Tennessee at Martin on Wednesday December 6, 2023, as part of its SCALES program. SCALES, which stands for Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students, is an initiative launched by the Tennessee…
November 27, 2023
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications for the Supreme Court vacancy that will be created by the retirement of the Honorable Roger A. Page, effective August 31, 2024.
Any interested applicant must be a licensed attorney who is at least 35 years of age, a…
November 27, 2023
The Board of Judicial Conduct has issued a public reprimand of Municipal Judge John Rosson. Read the reprimand here.
November 21, 2023
It’s the season of Thanksgiving and several families in Tennessee’s first judicial district are feeling thankful, grateful and blessed as the holiday nears. These families adopted 12 children on November 16 inside Chancellor John C. Rambo’s courtroom.
“National Adoption Day holds a special place…
November 20, 2023
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page has notified Governor Bill Lee that he will retire on August 31, 2024. Justice Page was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2016, serving as Chief Justice from 2021 to 2023. As Chief Justice, he helped secure substantial funding to implement enterprise e-…
November 15, 2023
Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced two key judicial appointments for state courts.
“I am proud to announce the appointment of these highly qualified individuals and value the significant experience they will bring to their respective roles,” Governor Lee said. “I appreciate their…
November 13, 2023
The Board of Judicial Conduct issued a Public Reprimand of 20th Judicial District Chancellor Russell T. Perkins. Read the reprimand here.
November 9, 2023
On Aug. 20, 1990, while serving in the 101st Airborne Division as an Assault Helicopter pilot, platoon leader and air mission commander, 12th Judicial District General Sessions Court Judge Marshall A. (Mark) Raines, Jr.’s platoon deployed to operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and…
November 6, 2023
Judge James Y. Ross, Wayne County General Sessions & Juvenile Court Judge, was recently elected president of the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference (TGSJC).
“I’ve been on the executive committee for a long time, so I know what I’m getting into,” said Judge Ross.
Outgoing…
October 31, 2023
The Board of Judicial Conduct issued a Public Reprimand for Judge A. Melissa Boyd. Read the reprimand here.
October 27, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court and the Access to Justice Commission recently celebrated attorneys who performed more than 50 hours of pro bono services over the course of a year.
“Tennessee's always been the volunteer state and the lawyers live up to that motto,” John Farringer, chair of…
October 27, 2023
On October 6, Judge Ashleigh Travis was sworn in as the seventh judge of the 19th Judicial District by Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jill Bartee Ayers.
In her remarks, Judge Ayers recalled the time she and her colleagues appointed Judge Travis to the position of child support magistrate…
October 18, 2023
Knox County General Sessions Court Judge Chuck Cerny received the Leon Ruben Award for Excellence at the recent Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference in Memphis. The award was presented by Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh.
“For those who don’t know, Judge Cerny not…
October 17, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court held today that a property owner using his home as a short-term rental did not violate homeowner association restrictions requiring that homes be used for "residential and no other purposes." However, the Court also held that the property owner’s short-term rentals…
October 16, 2023
Memphis Circuit Court Judge Valerie L. Smith was recently elected by her colleagues across the state to serve as president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, which is comprised of all state trial and appellate judges. For the first time in the organization’s history, the president’s…
October 11, 2023
The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals held oral arguments for its September Knoxville docket at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Judges Timothy Easter, Jill Ayers, and Robert Montgomery heard three appellate cases.
This was the first time that the court had heard oral arguments away…
October 6, 2023
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee formally swore in Justice Holly Kirby as the Supreme Court’s newest Chief Justice on October 4. Joined by her family, colleagues, and friends, Justice Kirby took the oath of office as Chief Justice in the Historic Supreme Court Chambers in the Tennessee State Capitol.…
October 3, 2023
Across the state of Tennessee, many judges are struggling to effectively administer justice in their courtrooms. The state must rely on court-appointed attorneys to provide mandatory legal counsel, but the pool of available attorneys has shrunk considerably.
“Every day we hear from judges who…