News
March 31, 2014
A suspension of Knoxville attorney Roger D. Hyman’s law license has been upheld by a unanimous opinion of the Tennessee Supreme Court.In 2010, the Board of Professional Responsibility filed a petition for discipline against Mr. Hyman for two unrelated complaints. The petition charged that Mr. Hyman…
March 17, 2014
A five-member Special Supreme Court convened solely to hear a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the way appellate judges are initially chosen and later stand for reelection to office ruled today that the current retention election system for choosing appellate judges does not violate the…
March 7, 2014
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court has held that state law allows a plaintiff to add a defendant whose involvement was raised by the original defendant, even when the plaintiff was aware of the new defendant before the statute of limitations expired.The case involves Michael Becker…
March 6, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated a Memphis man’s conviction for first-degree felony murder while clarifying Tennessee law regarding the requirements to make an arrest and when a confession can be a basis for a conviction.Courtney Bishop and an accomplice schemed to rob a drug dealer at…
March 5, 2014
The Governor's Commission for Judicial Appointments met Wednesday, March 5 in Nashville to interview five candidates for the position on the Tennessee Supreme Court being vacated this summer by Justice William C. Koch, Jr.After conducting a public hearing and interviews of all the candidates, the…
February 21, 2014
The Governor’s Commission for Judicial Appointments will consider five applicants when it meets March 5 in Nashville to select nominees for the Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy.The vacancy was created by the announcement last year by Justice William C. Koch, Jr. that he will retire in July to become…
February 21, 2014
In a unanimous Opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the disbarment of a Memphis attorney from the practice of law for violating multiple Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct in his representation of clients.George E. Skouteris, Jr. represented clients in connection with…
February 20, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court today reinstated DUI charges against David Dwayne Bell. Mr. Bell was stopped in 2009 by police for driving on the wrong side of a divided highway and performed several field sobriety tests with reasonable success.Despite his performance on the tests, police arrested Mr.…
February 18, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court is now seeking applications for the Clerk of the Appellate Courts position based in Nashville.Qualified applicants must be a licensed Tennessee attorney, have extensive managerial experience, and be knowledgeable about implementation and use of current technologies.The…
February 7, 2014
Gov. Bill Haslam welcomed the Tennessee Supreme Court to the historic court chambers in the Capitol building in Nashville February 6, 2014. The courtroom was the home of the court from the late 1850s until the Supreme Court Building opened up across 7th Avenue from the Capitol in 1937.See here for…
January 31, 2014
History will be the stage for the Tennessee Supreme Court as they hear oral arguments next week in the Supreme Court Chambers of the Tennessee State Capitol.The Court regularly hears cases in the Supreme Court buildings in Jackson, Knoxville, and Nashville, but an invitation from Gov. Bill Haslam…
January 31, 2014
Clerk of the Appellate Courts Mike Catalano announced today he will retire in June of this year and become an ordained deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, pursuing his ministry on a full-time basis.Mr. Catalano has served the state of Tennessee for more than 35 years in a variety of roles. He was…
January 29, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a plaintiff has extra time to refile her health care liability lawsuit based on a law that took effect while her initial lawsuit was pending.Juanita E. Good of Columbia suffered brain damage in 2005 while undergoing surgery to remove her gallbladder. Her…
January 28, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court has declined to set aside a 13-year-old guilty plea in which the defendant was never told the full extent of his punishment. In doing so, the Court determined that a statute passed in 1995 severely limited the ability of prisoners and parolees to obtain the benefit of…
January 27, 2014
Nashville, Tenn. – The Governor’s Commission for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications for the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice William C. Koch Jr.’s announcement that he will retire July 15.Any interested applicant must be a licensed attorney who is at least 35 years…
January 23, 2014
Nearly 300 people, including a Tennessee Supreme Court justice and a Knoxville Circuit Court judge, braved temperatures in the 30s to participate in the Race Against Racism, part of the 2014 Diversity Day and Knoxville Martin Luther King Day celebration.Justice Sharon G. Lee is chair of the…
January 17, 2014
The Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission met Friday, January 17 and voted to recommend the following justices and judges for retention in the August 2014 general election:Supreme Court:Justice Cornelia A. ClarkJustice Sharon G. LeeChief Justice Gary R. WadeCourt of Appeals:Judge Andy D.…
January 8, 2014
The Knoxville offices of the Tennessee Supreme and Appellate courts and clerk will be closed until Monday, January 13 because of a water main break outside the court building on Main Street.The building requires a water supply to heat the space and repairs are expected to take several days. Because…
January 2, 2014
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Monday, December 30 that Marcus Pope, who committed a robbery after being invited inside the Memphis residence of Carl Brown, could not also be convicted of a burglary.In August of 2010, Brown, known as the “Candy Man,” sold snacks and soft drinks through a window…
December 23, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a Gatlinburg-area time-share salesperson is not entitled to unemployment benefits.The salesperson had worked for several years selling time shares at Westgate Smoky Mountains under an independent contractor agreement. In 2009, Westgate terminated that…