News
July 25, 2019
For more than 20 years, the Davidson County Drug Court Residential Treatment Program has been a statewide and national leader in the effort to reduce recidivism, lower costs, and improve the lives of non-violent offenders with chemical dependencies.Founded in 1997 by 20th Judicial District Criminal…
July 15, 2019
Life did not start out easily for Judge Don Elledge. Born into a housing project built for the economically deprived during the New Deal era in Charleston, West Virginia, Judge Elledge’s living conditions took a turn for the worse after he moved to DeKalb County in Tennessee just before he started…
July 11, 2019
The Advisory Task Force on Composition of Judicial Districts will hold a public hearing in Memphis on Monday, July 15 to receive comments from those interested in sharing their thoughts on judicial districts in Tennessee. The public hearing will be held from 1 – 5 p.m. CDT at the University…
July 8, 2019
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today appointed Wesley Bray of Putnam County as the criminal court judge to the 13th Judicial District to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David. A Patterson. The 13th Judicial District covers Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and…
July 3, 2019
The Tennessee Judicial Conference recently announced the new members of its Executive Committee for the coming year.Taking over as president of the TJC is 7th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Donald R. Elledge. Judge Elledge has been on the bench since 2005, when he was first appointed to his…
June 26, 2019
Governor Bill Lee was recently welcomed to the 66th Tennessee Judicial Conference where he spoke about an issue very important to him: criminal justice reform. At the conference, Governor Lee explored why he feels reform is so crucial and emphasized that state judges have a huge role to play in…
June 25, 2019
The Trial Vacancy Commission met today, Tuesday, June 25, 2019, to consider five candidates for the 24th Judicial District Chancery Court judge vacancy, which covers Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry counties.This vacancy was created by the appointment and confirmation of Judge Carma…
June 21, 2019
Fourth Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Duane Slone, whose groundbreaking work in the courtroom has given new hope to many battling addiction issues, was recently awarded the National Center for State Courts Distinguished Service Award. NCSC President Mary McQueen presented Judge Slone with…
June 6, 2019
The Advisory Task Force on Composition of Judicial Districts will hold a public hearing in Murfreesboro on Wednesday, June 12 to receive comments from those interested in sharing their thoughts on judicial districts in Tennessee. The public hearing will be held at 2:30 p.m. CDT at the…
May 29, 2019
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider five applicants when it meets on Tuesday, June 25 to select nominees for the chancery court judge vacancy in the 24th judicial district, which covers Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry counties. This vacancy was created by the appointment…
May 28, 2019
Former Chancellor Tom E. Gray, age 77, of Hendersonville, passed away peacefully, on Sunday, May 26, 2019. He served as a chancellor in the 18th Judicial District, representing Sumner County, for more than 25 years and served on the bench for more than 32 years.Chancellor Gray was born to the late…
May 21, 2019
The Trial Vacancy Commission met today, Tuesday, May 21, 2019, to consider four candidates for the 13th Judicial District Criminal Court vacancy which covers Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties.This vacancy was created by the upcoming retirement of the Honorable…
May 16, 2019
The Advisory Task Force on Composition of Judicial Districts will hold a public hearing in Harriman on Monday, May 20 to receive comments from those interested in sharing their thoughts on judicial districts in Tennessee. The public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. at Roane State Community…
May 16, 2019
The Honorable James B. “Buddy” Scott, Jr., age 83, of Oak Ridge passed away on Thursday, May 9, 2019. Judge Scott became the Anderson County Circuit and Criminal Court Judge in 1978 and was reelected every election thereafter until retirement in 2005. Prior to becoming Judge, he served as the…
May 14, 2019
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Chancery Court Judge in the 24th Judicial District, which covers Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry Counties. This vacancy was created by the appointment and confirmation of Judge Carma Dennis McGee to the Court of Appeals…
May 8, 2019
The Nashville Bar Association recently bestowed one of its top honors on 20th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Joe P. Binkley Jr. at its recent 2019 Law Day luncheon in Nashville.At the luncheon, Judge Binkley was named the recipient of the NBA’s annual Liberty Bell Award, which is “given to a…
May 3, 2019
When Assistant Public Defender Mary Kathryn Harcombe wants to illustrate the importance of court interpretation in the legal system, she offers a thought experiment. Imagine you are in a non-English-speaking country and are arrested and brought to court. You do not understand the language of…
April 26, 2019
Over the past year, Tennessee has welcomed ten new state judges to the bench. At the first Tennessee Judicial Conference of 2019, they attended a special training called the Mini-Judicial Academy created for new judges.The sessions included discussions on courtroom security featuring Brian…
April 24, 2019
Court services in Loudon County will reopen in a temporary location on Monday, April 29 after a fire devastated the counties’ historic courthouse on the evening of April 23. The old courthouse is likely a complete loss and housed civil circuit court, criminal court, and chancery court for the…
April 23, 2019
Five Middle Tennessee judges were recently nominated for the 2019 ATHENA Leadership Awards, which celebrate women who have excelled professionally and who have demonstrated a commitment to bettering their communities and helping others achieve success.The nominees were announced by two…