News
February 6, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued an order that will require electronic submission of all interpreter invoices as well as compensation claims for attorneys representing indigent clients.The Order changes several existing Supreme Court rules effective July 1, 2013, and requires that “all claims…
February 5, 2013
The University of the South will welcome three justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court to campus this week. Justices Cornelia A. Clark, Janice M. Holder and Sharon G. Lee will be in Sewanee Thursday and Friday to meet with students and the campus community and participate in a panel discussion.…
February 1, 2013
Justice Janice Holder participated in a Pro Bono and Public Service Conference for law students on January 25-26 at Belmont University College of Law. Faculty, staff and students from all six Tennessee law schools were invited to the Conference to discuss and plan for increasing pro bono…
January 24, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that advocates for convicted serial killer Paul Dennis Reid may not continue appealing his convictions in state court against his wishes, despite claims he is not competent to abandon his appeals.In 1997, Mr. Reid committed three armed robberies in Nashville and…
January 23, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that a prosecutor did not abuse his discretion in denying pretrial diversion to a man accused of 16 counts of animal cruelty for intentionally or knowingly failing to provide necessary food and care to horses on his Warren County farm.In July 2009, the Tennessee…
January 23, 2013
Tennessee Supreme Chief Justice Gary R. Wade and Justice Sharon G. Lee marked the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend at events in East Tennessee.Chief Justice Wade was the keynote speaker at a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration Monday in Sevierville. His reflections on King’s impact were…
January 22, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that an employee of a temporary agency who is injured on the job, but not returned to work by the temporary agency at a wage equal to or greater than the pre-injury wage, may obtain workers’ compensation benefits up to six times the medical impairment rating…
January 17, 2013
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that where contracting parties have agreed to allow assignment of a contract with the consent of the non-assigning party, and the agreement is silent regarding the anticipated standard of conduct in withholding consent, an implied covenant of good faith and fair…
January 16, 2013
In Joshua Cooper v. Logistics Insight Corp., the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed two prior rulings in which it held that an employer’s subrogation right against an employee’s recovery from a third party in a negligence case does not include the amount of future medical benefits to be provided to…
December 21, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial court’s judgment awarding a Memphis teacher back pay and damages after the board failed to comply with the Teacher Tenure Act when it dismissed her.Saundra Thompson, a tenured teacher in the…
December 20, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the lower courts’ decisions that David Keen, an inmate currently on death row, could not reopen his post-conviction proceeding to assert that he was intellectually disabled.In 1990, David Keen raped and murdered an eight-year-old girl in Shelby County. He…
December 19, 2012
In a case of first impression in this state, Chief Justice Gary R. Wade wrote on behalf of a unanimous Court that the State can prosecute an unknown suspect by issuing a “John Doe” warrant that lists the suspect’s unique DNA profile.In 1994, a Nashville woman was attacked in her home but was able…
December 12, 2012
The Administrative Office of the Courts is now accepting applications for a seat on the Judicial Nominating Commission as a result of the retirement of commission member Theresa Lee.The position on the commission will be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor to an unexpired term that ends on June 30…
December 7, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court building celebrated its 75th anniversary this past week, with the first public display of the original handwritten Tennessee Constitutions, the opening of the Judiciary Museum and a reunion for members of the judiciary and their staffs who have worked in the building…
December 5, 2012
Sandy Garrett, a 20-year veteran of the Tennessee Supreme Court Board of Professional Responsibility has been named chief disciplinary counsel of the organization.“Sandy’s record of service to the legal profession and the public through her work with the BPR makes her uniquely qualified to step…
December 3, 2012
Tennessee State Library and Archives staff will carefully move all three versions of the original handwritten Tennessee state Constitutions to the Supreme Court building Tuesday, December 4 in preparation for a five-day public display.The meticulously preserved documents will be removed from a…
December 3, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial court’s judgment that denied a husband’s request for transitional alimony to cushion his adjustment to single life.The case involved Patricia Carlene Mayfield and Phillip Harold Mayfield, who…
November 29, 2012
The 75th Anniversary Celebration of Nashville Supreme Court Building provides a rare opportunity for the public to see the handwritten Constitutions of Tennessee for one week only as part of the opening of the Tennessee Judiciary Museum.To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the building that houses…
November 27, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the three-year sentences for Christine Caudle by applying the abuse of discretion standard of review recently adopted in State of Tennessee v. Susan Renee Bise.In February of 2010, Caudle pled guilty to felony charges of reckless…
November 20, 2012
In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a subsequent contract between parties that shares provisions similar to a previous contract does not necessarily constitute a renewal of the earlier agreement.At issue in BSG, LLC v. Check Velocity, Inc. is Check Velocity’s…