News
May 2, 2011
Nashville, Tenn. – The Administrative Office of the Courts is now accepting applications for five seats on the Judicial Nominating Commission, the body that reviews and recommends applicants for vacancies on the appellate and state trial courts for the governor’s consideration.The terms…
April 18, 2011
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee joined a group of attorneys and law students Saturday to talk to Knoxville area female minority students about pursuing legal careers. The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) partnered with the YWCA of Knoxville to host this event.Twenty…
April 11, 2011
The Tennessee Supreme Court today ruled that expert testimony may be considered when determining whether a person facing the death penalty is intellectually disabled. Under Tennessee law, persons with intellectual disability (formerly referred to as “mental retardation”) cannot be executed.In the…
March 11, 2011
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court filed an order today soliciting public comments to proposed changes to Code of Judicial Conduct, the ethics rules for Tennessee judges.The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) filed a petition on February 25, 2011, asking the Court to adopt an amended Code…
March 14, 2011
Fifteen Tennessee judges, including Chief Justice Cornelia A. Clark, presided over the 31st annual Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition this weekend. Judges from across the state joined more than 200 attorneys and volunteers lended their expertise to this weekend’s state competition…
February 11, 2011
Chief Justice Cornelia A. Clark spoke to reporters today at the Tennessee Press Association luncheon. During her remarks, she discussed the similarities of the judges and journalists as both face shrinking budgets and the demands of keeping up with changing technologies in the digital information…
January 25, 2011
Attorneys and Community Leaders Pledge to Increase Pro Bono EffortsNashville , Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court hosted the first ever statewide pro bono summit Friday as part of the Court’s ongoing efforts to improve access to justice in the state. More than 100 of the state’s top attorneys and…
February 4, 2011
Chief Justice Cornelia Clark met with legislative interns last Friday to discuss the importance of the judiciary and how the system works in Tennessee. The day prior to this session, the interns attended oral arguments in front of the Tennessee Supreme Court.At the end of Friday's session, Clark…
February 8, 2011
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court today approved the first retired attorney in the state to take part in the Court’s new pro bono emeritus program. This program allows retired attorneys to provide pro bono legal services through legal assistance organizations that offer free services…
September 21, 1998
The death sentences of two men convicted of killing an elderly couple and a father who sexually assaulted and murdered his 8-year-old daughter were upheld Monday by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court also reinstated the life sentence handed down for a fatal shooting in Hamilton County.Derrick…
September 28, 1998
The torture and murder of a Memphis mother in the presence of her children was “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel,” the Tennessee Supreme Court said Monday in a ruling upholding the conviction and death sentence Clarence C. Nesbit received for the 1993 crime.In a 3-1 decision, the court found…
October 5, 1998
The Tennessee Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the conviction and death sentence of Christa Gail Pike for the 1995 Knoxville murder of a 19-year-old Job Corps student who was kicked, stabbed, slashed and beaten as she begged for her life and struggled to escape.Also, in an order filed Monday,…
October 9, 1998
In an open selection process, the Tennessee Supreme Court will accept applications through Nov. 30 from attorneys interested in becoming the state’s next attorney general, Chief Justice Riley Anderson said Friday.“The court would encourage attorneys from across the state to apply,” Anderson said. “…
October 12, 1998
The public is invited to a reception for the Tennessee Supreme Court from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Montgomery County Civic Center.The reception, sponsored by the Montgomery and Robertson County Bar Associations, is being held in conjunction with the Supreme Court SCALES Program for more…
October 12, 1998
Municipal and General Sessions Court judges without law licenses are constitutionally prohibited in Tennessee from presiding over criminal cases without the defendants' approval, the state SupremeCourt said Monday.The 4-1 Supreme Court decision, written for the majority by Justice Frank Drowota,…
November 5, 1998
The jury’s sentence of death for a Memphis man convicted of killing an unarmed teenager was unanimously upheld Monday by the Tennessee Supreme Court.Kevin Burns received a death sentence for the 1992 murder of 17-year-old Damond Dawson and was sentenced to life in prison for killing 20-year-old…
November 16, 1998
The public is entitled by law to view and obtain copies of most state government documents, including computerized records regardless of format, the Tennessee Supreme Court said Monday in a decision stemming from a lawsuit filed by a newspaper.“Our review is governed solely by the language in the…
November 23, 1998
A capital case defendant who plans to use expert mental health testimony in an effort to avoid the death penalty must file a pretrial notice of intent and may be ordered to undergo a separate psychological evaluation by the prosecution’s specialist, the Tennessee Supreme Court said Monday.In a…
December 15, 1998
Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Paul Summers of Somerville was selected Thursday by the Tennessee Supreme Court to succeed state Attorney General John Knox Walkup, who announced in August he would not seek reappointment to the office.Under the Tennessee Constitution, the state’s chief legal officer…
December 30, 1998
Chief Justice E. Riley Anderson of the Tennessee Supreme Court will administer the oath of office to Paul Summers as the state’s 25th attorney general at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 8 in a public ceremony at the War Memorial Building in Nashville.Summers, 48, of Somerville was named by the Supreme Court Dec. 10…