News
April 23, 2015
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Lee and Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle launched the state’s first Business Court to the business and legal communities at a gathering in downtown Nashville Thursday.The event brought together more than 120 leaders in the business and law…
April 14, 2015
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has named attorney Beth Boniface of Morristown as circuit court judge in the 3rd Judicial District.The vacancy was created by the death of the Honorable Michael Faulk, who died in November.More information about Boniface's appointment is available…
April 14, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider five applicants when it meets May 4 in Johnson City to select nominees for the impending circuit court vacancy in the 1st Judicial District, which serves Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties.The vacancy has been created by…
April 10, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met on April 10, 2015 in Columbia to hold a public hearing and conduct interviews of candidates for the upcoming circuit court vacancy in the 22nd Judicial District, which serves Giles, Lawrence, Maury, and Wayne counties.After interviewing the…
April 9, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met on April 9, 2015 in Chattanooga to hold a public hearing and conduct interviews of candidates for the upcoming criminal court vacancy in the 11th Judicial District, which serves Hamilton County.After interviewing the candidates and conducting a…
April 7, 2015
Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that a Knoxville woman could forfeit her right to pretrial bail if it is shown that she committed crimes while released on bail pending trial for another crime.In March 2012, Latickia Burgins was charged with simple possession of marijuana in Knox County. Ms…
April 7, 2015
Chief Justice Sharon Lee's statement on the passing of Shelby County Chancellor Oscar Carr:Our entire judicial family is saddened by the loss of Shelby County Chancellor Oscar “Bo” Carr III and extends our condolences to his family, friends, and those that worked closest to him.Chancellor Carr was…
April 6, 2015
The University of Pittsburgh honored retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice M. Holder, of Memphis, with the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award for her professional accomplishments, such as her work with Access to Justice issues, and dedication to the…
April 6, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that a jury can be instructed to consider – and a defendant can be convicted of – the less serious crime of criminal attempt, even if there is evidence that the charged crime was not only attempted, but completed.Jeremy Thorpe was convicted in 2012 by a Davidson…
April 1, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ordered a new trial in a Union County sexual battery case because the jury was not selected in the manner prescribed by the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. Dominic Frausto was found guilty by a jury in 2009 of two counts of sexual battery. He appealed the case…
March 31, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court will add a voluntary funding mechanism for attorneys to contribute to access to justice programs, but will not require attorneys to report pro bono hours under changes adopted today.In an order filed today, the Court “continues to encourage strongly voluntary reporting…
March 27, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated charges of driving under the influence and violating the open container law against Williamson County resident Mechelle Montgomery in an opinion that restores evidence gained during a search.In February of 2012, two officers with the Williamson County…
March 27, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the dismissal of a whistleblower claim by Charles Haynes, a former employee of Formac Stables, Inc., in Obion County.Haynes worked as a groom at Formac Stables. In April of 2010, hesuffered an injury to the head when kicked by a Tennessee Walking Horse named…
March 26, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has granted a new trial in a Memphis case in which a man was convicted of rape of a child.In 2012, Frederick Herron was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the rape of his ex-wife’s younger sister. The victim, who said she was between the ages of 8 and 12 when the rapes…
March 20, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence for a man who was convicted of first degree felony murder in 1991 for his role in the killing of an elderly couple during a string of burglaries near the Land Between the Lakes region.In June 1988, William Eugene Hall escaped from a Kentucky…
March 20, 2015
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications for the Circuit Court Judge vacancy in the 1st Judicial District – Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, & Washington counties. The impending vacancy has been created by the announcement by Judge Thomas J. Seeley, Jr. that he is…
March 16, 2015
A new pilot project in Davidson County court will open the door to increased efficiencies in complex business litigation in Tennessee.Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle will preside over the pilot project, which is expected to start taking cases May 1. A chancellor since 1995, Lyle has…
March 13, 2015
The Tennessee Supreme Court, recognizing that technological advances have changed the way journalists provide coverage of courtrooms, is seeking comments from the public regarding proposed changes to Supreme Court Rule 30.The rule, which the Court adopted in 1995, provides instructions to the media…
March 13, 2015
Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court has denied a new trial to a Nashville man for two counts of the sale of an illegal drug within a school zone, despite his assertions that his attorney did not properly represent him at trial.In March and April of 2008, Calvin Eugene Bryant, Jr. sold the substance…
April 10, 2015
The Access to Justice Commission and The Faith & Justice Alliance are hosting a volunteer attorney training on Monday, April 27, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. at Lipscomb University’s Shamblin Theater in Nashville. This training event is designed for pro bono volunteer attorneys to prepare…