News
September 3, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld a 30-day suspension for Nashville attorney William Caldwell Hancock for his conduct in a bankruptcy case, which included sending an email to the judge calling him “a bully and clown.”The disciplinary action against Mr. Hancock was originated by the Board of…
September 2, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court will conduct public hearings and interviews Sept. 8, 2014 of the eight applicants for Attorney General and Reporter.
The meetings will be held in Nashville at Legislative Plaza, Room HR16, 301 6th Ave N, Nashville, 37243 starting at 9 a.m. CDT. Each candidate is…
August 29, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated a jury verdict denying recovery for a railroad employee who claimed he was injured as the result of a faulty railroad switch. Andrew Spencersued Norfolk Southern Railway after injuring his back on May 16, 2010, when he threw a switch in an effort to move a…
August 29, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has received eight applications for the position of Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter.The Court plans to meet Tuesday, September 2 to finalize details for the selection process and has tentatively scheduled a public hearing and interviews in Nashville the week of…
August 27, 2014
Appellate, trial, general sessions, juvenile, and municipal judges from across the state of Tennessee attended a weeklong training earlier this month in Murfreesboro.More than 100 judges participated in the sessions as students or teachers, which included information on transitioning from a law…
August 26, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has determined that a fund established to allow governmental entities to pool financial resources for purposes of providing liability coverage is not insurance and is not subject to uninsured motorist laws.The decision comes in a case that involved an Anderson County…
August 22, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for Noura Jackson, a Shelby County woman convicted of the second degree murder of her mother, Jennifer Jackson, because the Court found there were constitutional errors made in the course of the proceedings.The Court explained that during the 2009…
August 21, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that a post-conviction petitioner may be entitled to subpoena his co-defendants as witnesses, but only if he can first demonstrate that the co-defendants are competent witnesses whose testimony is relevant to his claims.In 2009, Quantel Taylor pled guilty to…
August 18, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated a Memphis attorney’s 60-day suspension from the practice of law for his behavior during a trial.Attorney R. Sadler Bailey was representing a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case in 2008. On the opening day of trial, in a case that already had become…
August 18, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that the State Constitution, like the United States Constitution, requires the government to compensate private property owners when governmental decisions, restrictions, or regulations take or interfere with private property interests.The lawsuit was brought…
August 14, 2014
Justice Sharon Lee will become Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, effective September 1.Justice Lee won a retention election for an eight-year term to the Court in the August 7, 2014 statewide election. She has been a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court since 2008.“It’s an honor to…
August 13, 2014
Memphis Attorney George T. "Buck" Lewis will receive the first-ever Justice Janice M. Holder Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the cause of expanding access to civil legal service. The Holder Award honors an individual who has advanced the quality…
August 11, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that an injured employee is entitled to the full amount of workers’ compensation benefits awarded to him by a trial court, despite having taken an employment buyout package shortly after his injury.In 2008, Cha Yang suffered two separate shoulder injuries while…
August 11, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has opened the application period for the position of state Attorney General and Reporter.In accordance with the Tennessee Constitution, the Attorney General and Reporter is appointed by the state Supreme Court and serves an eight-year term.Candidates for Attorney…
July 21, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a cash bond in the amount of statutory court costs and litigation taxes is sufficient to permit an appeal from general sessions court to circuit court.The issue arose in a 2007 Shelby County case in which Wilma Griffin sued Campbell Clinic for…
July 16, 2014
It was a standing room only in the historic Franklin Theatre as state, county and judicial officials from across Tennessee gathered to honor Justice Jeff Bivins at his investiture July 16, 2014.Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam performed the swearing in. Speakers included Williamson County Sheriff Jeff…
July 15, 2014
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court has determined that the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure require trial judges to explain why they are granting or denying a motion for summary judgment before they ask the lawyer for the winning party to prepare a proposed order.Motions for…
July 13, 2014
Legendary journalist John Seigenthaler, who fought for civil rights and championed the 1st Amendment, died Friday at the age of 86."John Seigenthaler stood for truth and justice. A staunch advocate of civil rights for all people and perhaps the greatest defender of the 1st Amendment right of…
July 10, 2014
Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jeffrey S. Bivins will be sworn in as a justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court Wednesday, July 16 at the Franklin Theatre in downtown Franklin. Gov. Bill Haslam will perform the ceremony.The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at Franklin Theatre, 419 Main Street, Franklin…
July 2, 2014
The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services has introduced the Janice M. Holder Award to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions to expanding Access to Justice in Tennessee.The Janice M. Holder Award is named in honor of Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice M. Holder, who…