News

July 21, 2015
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 13 authorizes the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to enter into contracts for representation of indigent litigants by attorneys working on various types of cases, including representation of indigent Respondents facing involuntary emergency judicial…

July 21, 2015
Press release from the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth:The Annie E. Casey Foundation 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book released today shows Tennessee ranks 36th in the country for child well-being, the same as in 2014.The KIDS COUNT Data Book ranks child well-being across four domains with…

July 16, 2015
From WPLN:Veterans Courts Work To Fix Ex-Soldiers' Lives — Often Decades After The​y Leave MilitaryKris Hansen sits alone in a corner of the courtroom,…

July 16, 2015
Chancery Court Judge James F. “Jimmy” Butler was honored with the Tennessee Bar Association’s Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award for his outstanding and dedicated service to the courts and the legal community. The award was presented by outgoing TBA President Jonathon…

July 14, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the kidnapping convictions in two separate cases in which the defendants were charged with the kidnapping and robbery of different victims. The first case involved the 2009 armed robbery of a Shoney’s restaurant in Nashville by Jerome Maurice Teats and an…

July 14, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met on July 14, 2015 in Clarksville to hold a public hearing and conduct interviews of candidates for the upcoming circuit court vacancy in the 19th Judicial District, which serves Montgomery and Robertson counties.After interviewing the candidates…

July 14, 2015
We in the Judiciary mourn the loss of our friend, Judge D’Army Bailey, a devoted family man, an accomplished attorney and experienced trial court judge.  We join with national and international commentators, elected officials, and local citizens who have lauded the impact of Judge D’Army Bailey on…

July 14, 2015
The Administrative Office of the Courts has approximately $200,000 in grant funding available for the development or continuation of initiatives that will address the needs of divorced or never married self-represented litigants and focus on services to help them resolve any or all issues…

July 7, 2015
A newly established advisory commission of eight leading attorneys from across Tennessee and an appellate court judge will provide input for processes and procedures for the state’s Business Court Pilot Project.Members of the Commission are:Judge Neal McBrayer, ChairpersonCourt of Appeals, Middle…

July 6, 2015
Ten attorneys have applied in a second round of interviews for the Hamilton County Criminal Court judge position that became vacant June 1 upon the retirement of The Honorable Rebecca Stern.The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments previously met on April 9 and considered seven applicants,…

July 2, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that a challenge by death row inmates to electrocution as an alternative execution method is premature and therefore unripe for resolution by the courts at this time.In a unanimous opinion, the Court determined that the issue is not “ripe” because none of the…

July 1, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that a widow whose husband died after a five-year battle with lung cancer will get a new trial to determine the amount of damages owed by her husband’s employer as a result of its negligence in contributing to her husband’s illness.For over 40 years, Winston…

July 1, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has determined that a Nashville chiropractic clinic’s patient did not effectively assign his rights to insurance proceeds received from a third party’s insurance company. The case stems from a 2011 automobile accident that injured defendant Prentice Delon Hyler.  Action…

June 30, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has reversed a trial court’s dismissal of a health care liability lawsuit against an East Tennessee doctor and hospital, concluding that delivery of pre-suit notice of a health care liability action via FedEx is a proper method of service under Tennessee law. In 2011,…

June 25, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed multiple convictions stemming from a domestic incident in which Terrence Feaster inflicted serious injuries upon his then-girlfriend, Molly Kate McWhirter, at her Knox County residence.In May of 2012, Feaster accompanied McWhirter to a sports bar in Knox…

June 23, 2015
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed James Edwin Lauderback of Johnson City as Circuit Court Judge in the First Judicial District.The position became open with the retirement of Judge Thomas J. Seeley Jr. effective June 30.  The district includes Johnson, Carter, Washington and Unicoi counties…

June 18, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is again accepting applications for a criminal court judge vacancy in the 11th Judicial District – Hamilton County. The vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge Rebecca J. Stern effective June 1.Pursuant to an executive order signed by Gov.…

June 17, 2015
From the Governor's website:Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed David Lee Allen of Lawrenceburg as Circuit Court Judge for the 22nd Judicial District. Allen, 62, replaces Judge Jim T. Hamilton, who has retired.  The 22nd Judicial District includes Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties. “…

June 17, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met on June 17, 2015 in Memphis to hold a public hearing and conduct interviews of candidates for the chancery court vacancy in the 30th Judicial District, which serves Shelby County.After interviewing the candidates and conducting a vote, the…

June 12, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider nine applicants when it meets July 14 in Clarksville to select nominees for the impending circuit court vacancy in the 19th Judicial District, which serves Montgomery and Robertson counties.The vacancy was created by the legislature…