News
February 6, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear nine cases February 8-9, 2017, in Nashville, TN. The details of the cases are as follows: Wednesday, February 8, 2017State of Tennessee v. Walter H. Webb-This case involves a defendant who was convicted by a Wilson County jury of one count of…
February 6, 2017
From The Tennessean
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — Judge Duane Slone has observed the arc of the opioid crisis firsthand since painkiller addiction began taking ahold of lives in the rural northeast Tennessee counties he serves.
Serving as a drug prosecutor in the 1990s before becoming circuit judge in…
February 3, 2017
From The Commercial Appeal
Bryan Owens committed his first crime when he was 12. He did it for the love of his life: drugs.
"I was smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol," Owens says. "My birth father got me high when I was 6."
By the time he was an adult, Owens was using…
February 1, 2017
Davidson County Drug Court (now Recovery Court) honored six new graduates today, February 1, 2017.
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia A. Clark was the keynote speaker, and addressed the audience, noting the achievements of each graduate, the journey to overcome their struggles and their…
January 30, 2017
From the Knoxville News-SentinelWhen the opiate epidemic came calling in his rural five-county jurisdiction, one East Tennessee judge admits he was caught unaware.“In 2000, 2001, I had a friend come to me to say another friend had passed away from an overdose,” 8th Judicial District Criminal Court…
January 27, 2017
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee and retired Supreme Court Justice William "Muecke" Barker have been recognized as part of University of Tennessee's Top 100 Distinguished Alumni. The recognition comes as The Tennessee Alumnus magazine celebrates it’s 100th continuous year of…
January 26, 2017
Below is Chief Justice Jeff Bivins' Annual Report Message, which is available in full here.2016 Judiciary Annual ReportEvery day, the judges of our great state seek to further the pursuit of justice for the citizens of Tennessee. From the perspective of the individual who finds himself…
January 23, 2017
The Board of Judicial Conduct, which investigates and acts on complaints against judges in Tennessee, has placed General Sessions Judge Amanda Sammons on a three-year probation, in accordance with a Deferred Disciplinary Agreement as contemplated by T.C.A. § 17-5-301 (f)(4), in lieu of pursuing…
January 23, 2017
From The Wilson PostMt. Juliet's city judge got a phone call a few days ago that astounded her and could potentially change her life, as well as a little boy's.City judge and long-time local attorney Carolyn Christoffersen never believed because she regularly gave blood while in law school, that 17…
January 20, 2017
From The TennesseanIn the nearly three years since his retirement, the 74-year-old says he is still an avid reader who enjoys spending time with his family, including his two grandchildren.As for his legacy, Sumner County Chancellor Louis Oliver III said Gray left behind “very difficult” shoes…
January 17, 2017
From the TennesseanOne by one, the graduates stood in the fellowship hall of the St. Paul Episcopal Church on Main Street in Franklin on Monday night and told friends and family they were thankful they were arrested.It’s not something most people would expect to hear, but in this room, the audience…
January 13, 2017
In a case involving the dismissal of a tenured teacher, the Tennessee Supreme Court has held that the Court of Appeals’ award to the teacher of partial back pay was not authorized under the Tennessee Teacher Tenure Act (Tenure Act). It also held that the teacher could not appeal the timeliness of…
January 11, 2017
Today, the Administrative Office of the Courts joined the state’s executive and legislative branches at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium for the Third Annual Campaign against Hunger Community Service Project, hosted by the General Assembly’s “Nutrition Caucus,” and organized by Tennessee Senator…
January 10, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the Tennessee Board of Parole’s decision to deny parole to a prisoner based on the seriousness of the offense.In January 2009, Joseph Brennan pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted rape of a child and incest. Mr. Brennan, who was sentenced to twenty years…
January 10, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the Tennessee Board of Parole’s decision to deny parole to a prisoner based on the seriousness of the offense.In January 2009, Joseph Brennan pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted rape of a child and incest. Mr. Brennan, who was sentenced to twenty years…
January 10, 2017
From NPRWhen Donald Trump won the presidential election, he made a pledge to every citizen: that he would be president for all Americans. In the weeks before Trump's inauguration, we're going to hear about some of the communities that make up this nation, from the people who know them best, in our…
January 6, 2017
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear four cases on January 10, 2017 in Knoxville, TN. The details of the cases are as follows: Judith Moore-Pennoyer v. State of Tennessee, et al.– In this employment case, the Supreme Court will consider whether a person who has prevailed in a judicial…
December 30, 2016
The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted a set of plain-language forms and instructions for use in uncontested divorces between parties with minor children in an effort to simplify divorce proceedings for parties that fall into that category. The forms will become effective January 1, 2017.The…
December 30, 2016
The Tennessee Supreme Court has clarified that the criminal offense of stalking, as defined under Tennessee law, contains both an objective element and a subjective element of significant mental suffering or distress that must be met to sustain a conviction. The Court emphasized that the…
December 30, 2016
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that application of the Exclusionary Rule Reform Act (“ERRA”), Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-6-108(a), to cases in which the evidence was seized prior to the statute’s enactment does not violate the constitutional prohibition against ex post facto laws. Ex post…