News
June 12, 2023
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider five applicants when it meets on July 18 in Crossville to select nominees for a criminal court judge vacancy in the 13th judicial district, which includes Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White counties. The new judicial…
June 12, 2023
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider four applicants when it meets on July 12 in Clarksville to select nominees for a circuit court judge vacancy in the 19th judicial district, which covers Montgomery and Robertson Counties. The new judicial position was created by the Tennessee…
Tennessee Supreme Court Holds Restitution Statute Does Not Require Trial Courts To Set Payment Terms
June 8, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court issued opinions in two cases holding that restitution orders in criminal cases need not contain payment terms or a payment schedule to be final and appealable. Orders for restitution only have to set the amount of restitution; and, if no payment time is set, then the…
June 8, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court today adopted Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 55 – Use of Technology for Court Proceedings. The rule allows the use of teleconferencing, video conferencing, and other technology to conduct court proceedings remotely at the discretion of the trial or appellate court.
Over…
May 31, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court has three cases set for its June 1, 2023, docket. The first two cases will be heard in Nashville beginning at 1 p.m. CDT. The final case will be submitted on briefs. The cases will be livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page at: …
May 30, 2023
On May 17, the 21st Judicial District Recovery Court, in Williamson County, received a $5,000 grant from the Nashville Predators Foundation.
“I’m just very, very grateful to the Predators Foundation and their care for the community, and so many of the things they do because we feel like when we…
May 25, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court held today that a cap imposed by the Division of TennCare on reimbursements to certain healthcare providers is a “rule” within the meaning of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act that should have been implemented through notice-and-comment rulemaking.
As part of a…
May 24, 2023
First Judicial District Chancellor John C. Rambo of Jonesborough will be honored next month at the TBA Annual Convention with the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award from the Tennessee Bar Association and the Tennessee American Inns of Court. The award will be presented at the…
May 23, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hold oral arguments on May 24, 2023, before an accomplished group of Tennessee’s high school students at American Legion Boys State at Tennessee Technological University. The event is part of the Court’s award-winning SCALES program, which stands for Supreme…
May 23, 2023
In an opinion released today, a majority of the Tennessee Supreme Court held that the trial court in a healthcare liability action appropriately declined to require a defendant physician to opine on the defendant nurse-midwife’s performance outside of the physician’s presence.
In 2014, a child…
May 22, 2023
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is currently accepting applications for three newly established state court judicial positions in the 13th, 19th, and 22nd Judicial Districts. The new judicial positions were created by the Tennessee General Assembly through Public Chapter No. 396, enacted…
May 19, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court today reversed the termination of the parental rights of two parents whose infant son suffered multiple rib fractures while he was in their custody. The Court held that, under Tennessee law, the evidence did not support the trial court’s finding that the parents’ failure…
May 18, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed former Judge W. Mark Ward as a senior judge for a term of four years, effective June 1, 2023. Judge Ward previously served as a criminal court judge in the 30th Judicial District from 2004 to 2022.
Under Tennessee Code Ann. § 17-2-302, the Supreme Court…
May 17, 2023
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously held that a trial court’s voluntary dismissal order in a governmental tort liability action could not be altered or amended because an amended complaint filed by the plaintiff rendered it of no legal effect.
Plaintiff George…
May 15, 2023
John Crawford, Education Manager for the Administrative Office of the Courts, received the 2022 Public Service Award at the Tennessee State Clerks of Court Education Conference.
Crawford was presented with a certificate that reads: “In recognition of an awesome job of dedicated service for the…
May 15, 2023
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the forgery convictions and sentences of five defendants that collectively filed more than 100 fraudulent financing statements on the Secretary of State’s website.
Defendants Ronald Lyons, James Michael Usinger, Lee Harold Cromwell,…
May 11, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the premeditated first-degree murder and aggravated robbery convictions of Kemontea Dovon McKinney (“Defendant”) for the killing of Jonathan Outlaw in Robertson County. The Court found the Defendant’s statements to detectives were voluntary, as was the…
May 9, 2023
The American Bar Association Business Law Section has appointed Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin as a Business Court Representative for 2022-2024. Chancellor Martin was selected, along with one other judge in the United States, as a judge who presides over a court consisting primarily of…
May 8, 2023
The Board of Judicial Conduct issued a Public Reprimand for Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd. Read the public reprimand here.
May 5, 2023
In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court extended its previous holdings with respect to civil defendants in Parrish v. Marquis, 172 S.W.3d 526, 531 (Tenn. 2005), and Himmelfarb v. Allain, 380 S.W.3d 35 (Tenn. 2012), and held that a criminal defendant can pursue a claim…