News

October 17, 2017
The Tennessee Faith and Justice Alliance, a project of the Tennessee Supreme Court, will be hosting the first annual statewide Pro Bono & Faith Days (#pbfdays) from Oct. 21 to Oct. 29. All houses of worship and faith-based partners are encouraged to provide information to their networks about…

October 16, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider four applicants when it meets on Monday, November 6, 2017 in Memphis to select nominees for the Criminal Court vacancy in the 30th Judicial District – Shelby County. The vacancy was created by The Honorable James C. Beasley, Jr. who informed the…

October 16, 2017
The Supreme Court of Tennessee issued guidance on the steps courts should follow when a creditor sells collateral used to obtain a loan, but does not provide the required notice of the sale. The case involved a bank loan that was used to purchase an airplane, with the plane itself and additional…

October 12, 2017
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has extended its deadline for court security grant applications to Friday, November 17, 2017. Grant applications received on or before the original due date of October 16, 2017 will move forward in the review and decision process.The AOC launched a one-…

October 9, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear five cases on October 11, 2017, in Nashville, TN.  The details of the cases are as follows:  Wednesday, October 11, 2017Athlon Sports Communications, Inc., v. Stephen C. Duggan, et al. - This case considers the stock valuation method for determining the fair…

October 6, 2017
A first-of-its-kind regional judicial effort by states to combat the opioid epidemic is receiving a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.The Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI) was formed a year ago to explore ways that state leaders…

October 5, 2017
In an opinion filed today, the Supreme Court of Tennessee clarified when a serious bodily injury must occur during a robbery to elevate the crime to especially aggravated robbery.  This clarification is important because especially aggravated robbery carries a longer sentence than aggravated…

October 3, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court, acting on recommendations from its Indigent Representation Task Force, is taking action to reform the state’s method for providing legal assistance to individuals who are unable to afford an attorney.“The task force confirmed what many of us already suspected: The…

September 29, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met today Friday, September 29, 2017 to consider five candidates for Circuit Court vacancy in the 17th Judicial District – Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, and Moore Counties. The vacancy was created when the Honorable Lee Russell announced he will retire effective…

September 29, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that courts must consider all nine statutory factors, as well as any other relevant facts, when deciding whether terminating parental rights is in a child’s best interests.  The Supreme Court explained that requiring courts to consider all relevant facts and…

September 27, 2017
/*-->*/ From The Office of Governor Bill Haslam. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam appointed David M. Rudolph Circuit Court Judge for the 30th Judicial District, which serves Shelby County.The vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge…

September 26, 2017
Circuit Court Judge Ben W. Hooper II was recently joined by hundreds of friends, family, and colleagues at a reception at Carson Springs Conference Center to pay tribute to his lengthy judicial and public service career. Judge Hooper retired August 31, 2017.  He served as a judge for 24 years.Judge…

September 25, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for the 30th judicial district criminal court vacancy. The vacancy was created when the Honorable James C. Beasley, Jr. announced he will retire effective December 31, 2017.Qualified applicants must be a licensed attorney who is at least…

September 21, 2017
In 2011, a disagreement arose among members of the Moscow, Fayette County, Temple Church of God in Christ about the person assigned to be its pastor by the parent denomination, the Church of God in Christ, Inc., (COGIC), headquartered in Memphis.  The disagreement culminated in a dispute about the…

September 20, 2017
Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Director Deborah Taylor Tate and Indiana Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush were appointed co-chairs of the newly created Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) National Opioid Task Force. The Task Force…

September 20, 2017
In a case involving a 2014 election for circuit court judge in East Tennessee, the Tennessee Supreme Court has rejected the unsuccessful candidate’s claim that the Roane County Election Commission (“Commission”) had no authority under Tennessee law to decide a pre-election challenge to the…

September 20, 2017
Four years of hard work and planning paid off for the Chancery Court of Rutherford County.With almost 3,000 case filings each year, the need was created for an efficient way for cases to be filed and managed, and electronic filing (e-filing) recently made its debut in the court.E-filing allows…

September 15, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met today Friday, September 15, 2017, to consider seven applicants for the Circuit Court vacancy in the 16th Judicial District – Rutherford and Cannon Counties. The judicial vacancy was created by the death of the Honorable M. Keith Siskin.After holding a public…

September 14, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met today Thursday, September 14, 2017, to consider seven applicants for the Criminal Court vacancy in the 20th Judicial District – Davidson County. The vacancy was created by The Honorable J. Randall Wyatt, Jr. who informed the Governor he would retire effective…

September 14, 2017
In 2012, the Tennessee General Assembly adopted the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability, and Management Act of 2012 (“TEAM Act”), which comprehensively addressed the hiring and termination of state employees. The TEAM Act replaced the prior Civil Service Act. The TEAM Act established two…