New features, more information, easier access and an updated look are among improvements on the Tennessee court system website.
“The website is part of our commitment to make court-related information and material as accessible as possible,” said Connie Clark, administrative director of the courts. “We now have a webmaster to help make the Internet site an evolving valuable resource for all ages and levels of interest in the judicial system.”
The website was introduced in 1995, primarily as a tool for the legal community. Appellate court decisions have been posted since its inception and other material has been added. But the new web page - with the same Internet address - has additional features, improved disability access and is easier to use, said Webmaster Durwood Edwards.
The area for children, accessed through the “Fun Stuff” button on the home page, includes a game with scrambled words relating to courts and the law; biographies of appellate court judges with information about their hobbies and other outside interests; “Our Courts In a Nutshell,” a simple guide to the judicial system; and a link to definitions of legal terms as well as other material for children and teens.
The Annual Report of the Tennessee Judiciary is among publications on the court website, some available in English and Spanish.Several court forms, including orders of protection, are posted in Spanish, Arabic, Kurdish, Laotian, Russian and Vietnamese. All of the documents are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format and can be printed.
New features include a “Press Room,” with news releases, a list of telephone numbers and addresses of interest to the media as well as other information and links. Websites for the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and court systems nationwide can be accessed along with other legal and government websites.
The site also has an adult version of the Guide to Tennessee Courts in English and Spanish; information on the history of capital punishment and the legal process in capital cases; court filings in certain high-profile cases; information on the Parenting Plan; employment opportunities; and a link to a publishing site providing an unannotated version of the Tennessee Code.