The Tennessee Supreme Court has one case set for its September 28, 2022 docket. The case will be heard using Zoom. Per court order, it will not be livestreamed, but will be shown publicly in the courtroom at the Nashville Supreme Court Building. The case will begin at 9 a.m. CDT. The details of the case are as follows:
- In re Markus E.– In 2014, Markus E. was born prematurely and subsequently suffered numerous health problems. When the child was seven months old, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services placed him with a relative after an emergency room visit revealed multiple rib fractures and chronic subdural hemorrhages. The child’s mother could not offer a satisfactory explanation for the child’s condition. In 2019, the trial court terminated the parental rights of both parents, concluding that there was clear and convincing evidence of two statutory grounds for termination of the mother’s parental rights (substantial noncompliance with the permanency plan and severe child abuse) and one statutory ground for the termination of the father’s parental rights (severe child abuse). The trial court also concluded that termination was in the child’s best interest. The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted the parents’ applications for permission to appeal to consider whether their parental rights were properly terminated.