News
September 22, 2010
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the three death sentences of David Lynn Jordan for the first degree murders of his estranged wife, Donna Renee Jordan, Jerry Hopper and David Gordon at a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) facility in Jackson, Tenn.On January 11, 2005, Jordan shot…
September 23, 2010
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Joel Richard Schmeiderer for the first degree premeditated murder of Tom Harris, a fellow inmate at the South Central Correctional Center in Clifton, Tenn.On July 11, 2001, Schmeiderer used a sock to strangle Harris to death in the victim…
September 29, 2010
The Tennessee Supreme Court today filed an order adopting revisions to its Rules of Professional Conduct, which govern the ethical behavior of attorneys. The changes to the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPCs), which fall under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 8, provide additional clarity for…
September 30, 2010
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of John Patrick Henretta for the rape, murder, robbery and kidnapping of Frances Rose Crabtree, a 32-year-old Bradley County thrift store employee.Henretta and his accomplice, Michael Goodhart, were on the run for crimes committed in…
October 5, 2010
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of H.R. Hester for the first degree murder of Charles Haney.At the time of the crime, Mr. Hester was living with Mr. Haney and Hester’s ex-wife, Dora Mae Hester, who was the live-in caretaker for the elderly Mr. Haney. On December 14, 1999,…
October 6, 2010
More than 200 high school students from Hickman, Lewis, Perry and Williamson counties will hear oral arguments in two Tennessee Supreme Court cases on Thursday, October 7, as part of a program designed to educate young Tennesseans about the judicial branch of government.Students and their teachers…
November 1, 2010
The Tennessee Supreme Court today appointed Lee Ramsey as Reporter for the Court’s Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure. Ramsey replaces Don Paine, who retired from the position last year after 35 years of service to the Commission. Paine continues to serve the Commission as…
November 1, 2010
David Shearon to Leave CLE ComissionCommission Seeks New Executive DirectorNashville, Tenn. - David Shearon, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Specialization, has announced he is stepping down from the position effective December 31, 2010.…
November 6, 2010
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court today entered an order postponing the execution of Stephen Michael West from November 9 to November 30.The Court acted on a motion to appeal from the Davidson County Chancery Court, where West filed a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s three-drug legal…
November 16, 2010
Morristown, Tenn. – Courthouses across Tennessee are typically quiet on Saturdays. But on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 9 a.m., the Hamblen County Courthouse in Morristown will be bustling with activity as Chancellor Thomas “Skip” Frierson will finalize four adoptions at a special ceremony in honor of…
November 24, 2010
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court today denied motions filed by Stephen Michael West and Billy Ray Irick to postpone their scheduled executions after a trial court ruled the state’s lethal injection procedure to be unconstitutional.West is scheduled for execution on Nov. 30. Irick’s…
November 29, 2010
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order staying the execution of Stephen Michael West scheduled for Nov. 30 to allow the trial court to test the constitutionality of the state’s new lethal injection procedure. Pending the resolution of this issue, the Court has also…
December 30, 2010
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed Judy Bond-McKissack as Executive Director of the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Specialization, the body responsible for overseeing the continuing legal education for the state’s 20,000 attorneys. In this role, Bond-McKissack…
January 4, 2011
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed four new members to the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR), the Court-designated body responsible for overseeing the ethical conduct of attorneys.The Court has also named Lela M. Hollabaugh, of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Nashville, as…
November 6, 2010
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court today entered an order postponing the execution of Stephen Michael West from November 9 to November 30.The Court acted on a motion to appeal from the Davidson County Chancery Court, where West filed a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s three-drug legal…