News
March 31, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear seven cases April 5-6, 2017, in Jackson, Tenn. The details of the cases are as follows:Wednesday, April 5, 2017Church of God in Christ, Inc., et al v. L.M. Haley Ministries, Inc., et al. – This is a case involving a hierarchical church seeking an order…
March 29, 2017
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is now accepting applications for the Circuit Court judge vacancy in the 2nd Judicial District – Sullivan County. Judge R. Jerry Beck has informed the governor that he will retire effective June 30, 2017. Any interested applicant must be a licensed attorney who…
March 28, 2017
The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the written protocol by which the Tennessee Department of Correction carries out an execution by lethal injection.The plaintiffs in this matter, each of whom have been convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death, brought a…
March 28, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that the position of trial judge secretarial assistant is subject to the employment-at-will doctrine that generally applies in Tennessee. The Court’s holding means that either the trial judge or the person employed in the secretarial assistant position may…
March 27, 2017
The Administrative Office of the Courts is now accepting Grant Applications for the Parent Education and Mediation Fund as well as the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.The Victim Offender Reconciliation Program of Tennessee (VORP) was sanctioned by the…
March 23, 2017
Excerpt from University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering magazine...
Take, for example, Herff alumna Holly Kirby. Holly received her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering in 1979. One would expect that she would have followed a career that would lead her into the world of…
March 23, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that an indigent prisoner’s case was properly dismissed pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-812 when the prisoner had outstanding unpaid court costs from prior litigation. Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-812 authorizes the rejection of…
March 21, 2017
All five justices with the Tennessee Supreme Court kicked off #HELP4TNDAY events today in Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville.
The awareness campaign asks Tennesseans to visit www.help4tn.org to find a legal clinic, expungement clinic or educational event near them to attend,…
March 16, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that Tennessee’s Parental Relocation Statute, which applies to parents with a court-ordered parenting plan, was intended to make cases in which one parent wants to relocate with the child relatively clear cut. In a case involving divorced parents in middle…
March 14, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court will kick off Help4TNDay with five press conferences in five cities across Tennessee on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. The event will educate the public about free legal advice events for all Tennesseans, from Memphis to Tri-Cities, as part of its Access to Justice Initiative…
March 10, 2017
Retired Judge Jerry Scott, age 75, of Murfreesboro, TN, passed away on Sunday evening, March 5, 2017. Services to Celebrate Judge Scott will be held: Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 5:00pm (cst)Belle Aire Baptist Church1307 N Rutherford Blvd.Murfreesboro, TN 37130 Dr. Dean Sisk and John Kea will be…
March 10, 2017
Electronic case filing is now available in Davidson County Chancery Court. Attorneys started e-filing soon after the soft launch of the Court’s e-filing system on March 1, 2017. “On behalf of the Chancellors of the Twentieth Judicial District, we are excited to offer e-filing, and expect it to be a…
March 8, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that a Memphis food-service employee may not file a lawsuit against her employer for distributing tips in a way that violates Tennessee’s Tip Statute, because the law does not allow a private party to file suit for a violation.Tennessee’s Tip Statute requires…
March 10, 2017
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins addressed the Tennessee Judicial Opiate Working Group on Tuesday to discuss the impact the September 2016 Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative Summit has made. Judge O. Duane Slone was chosen to lead the working group and also serves as chairman of…
March 6, 2017
The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Gala was held March 4. Among the speakers was Co-Chairman of the TBA Corporate Counsel Committee, Andy Branham, who encouraged attendees to participate in the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Initiative's…
March 6, 2017
On behalf of the Judiciary, we are saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Douglas Henry. We applaud Senator Henry's longstanding legal career and his impeccable record as the longest serving member of the Tennessee legislature. Senator Henry was a true friend of the judiciary, and he was very…
March 3, 2017
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice and Kingsport native Jeff Bivins was presented with a city proclamation recently at a Kingsport Chamber breakfast. Bivins was honored for his leadership and service.
The event featured Chief Justice Bivins speaking to members of the Kingsport business…
February 28, 2017
More than 150 general sessions judges from across Tennessee have gathered in Nashville this week to attend the annual General Sessions Judges Conference.
At the conference, judges are attending workshops and continuing legal education events.
General Sessions Court jurisdiction varies…
February 23, 2017
Students at Belmont University College of Law saw the Court of Appeals in action on Tuesday, February 21, 2017. The event was sponsored by Belmont's Criminal Law Society, and gave students a chance to not only see actual cases, but hearing judges on a panel discussion. The judges gave students…
February 13, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court announced today (Monday) free legal advice events for all Tennesseans, from Memphis to Tri-Cities, as part of its Access to Justice Initiative, in which all Tennesseans are invited to get free civil legal help online or in person at walk-in clinics near them. There will…