News
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 30, 2019
Two local institutions have joined together to promote the cause of legal education and to further the legacy of widely respected former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank F. Drowota III, who passed away just over a year ago.The Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society has partnered with…
April 29, 2019
Judge Carma Dennis McGee was confirmed during a joint session of the Tennessee General Assembly as the newest member of the Tennessee Court of Appeals – Western Division. She is the first Court of Appeals judge to go through the confirmation process that was enacted in 2016 by Executive Order…
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 25, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the disbarment of Knoxville attorney John O. Threadgill.Mr. Threadgill’s disbarment was based on his conviction for felony tax evasion in federal district court, which was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Mr.…
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…
April 17, 2019
April is a special month for proponents and practitioners of pro bono legal services in Tennessee. It is the time each year when the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission and its partners shine the spotlight on statewide efforts to provide much-needed legal resources to those in…
April 17, 2019
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider four candidates when it meets on May 21 in Cookeville to select nominees for the criminal court judge vacancy in the 13th Judicial District, which covers Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties. This vacancy was created…
April 16, 2019
The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury issued the FY 2017-18 Tennessee Judicial Weighted Caseload Study in April 2019. The state has an estimated net deficit of 6.51 full-time equivalent judges. In the previous year, there was a deficit of 9.76 judges across the state and four judicial positions…
April 15, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court addressed a certified question from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee regarding whether an insurance company can depreciate the cost of labor when calculating actual cash value payments for property damage claims.The homeowners in this…
April 10, 2019
The Advisory Task Force on Composition of Judicial Districts will hold a public hearing in Jackson on Monday, April 15 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 the Madison County…
April 10, 2019
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today appointed Chancellor Carma Dennis McGee to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section. She will replace Judge Brandon O. Gibson, who was appointed as a senior advisor in the Office of Governor earlier this year.Chancellor McGee, 48, has served as the…
April 9, 2019
Longtime Nashville litigator Patricia Head Moskal was recently sworn in as the newest chancellor on the 20th Judicial District Chancery Court during a ceremony at the Metropolitan Courthouse in Nashville. In January, Governor Bill Haslam appointed Chancellor Moskal to the position on the court,…
April 8, 2019
Gerald Webb II, a former assistant district attorney and criminal defense lawyer, was recently sworn in as the newest judge on the Hamilton County General Sessions Court. He is the first African American judge to hold a countywide judgeship in Hamilton County.Judge Webb was sworn in by Hamilton…
April 5, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court has designated Saturday, April 6 as the kickoff for the third annual HELP4TN Days, a time dedicated to bringing free legal resources to Tennesseans in need. Throughout the month of April, more than 100 free legal clinics will be held throughout the state, and online and…
April 3, 2019
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Criminal Court Judge in the 13th Judicial District, which covers Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties. This vacancy was created by the upcoming retirement of the Honorable David A. Patterson, who…
April 2, 2019
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear two cases on April 4, 2019. The details of the cases are as follows: Thursday, April 4, 2019State of Tennessee v. A.B. Prince, Jr., and Victor Tyrone Sims – On January 1, 2017, the Public Safety Act of 2016 became effective.…
March 29, 2019
The Tennessee Supreme Court has amended Supreme Court Rule 7, which focuses on the licensing of attorneys to practice law in Tennessee. These most recent changes follow other modifications that were made to the rule over the past several years, including adoption of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and…
March 25, 2019
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Connie Clark recently presided over the final round of the Tennessee Bar Association's 2019 State High School Mock Trial Competition. Students from Agathos Classical School in Columbia were named the winners for the second year in a row. They will now go on to…