News
October 31, 2012
More than $200,000 has been awarded to seven agencies across Tennessee as part of the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice initiative.The support is made possible through federal funding received from the Department of Human Services through the Access and Visitation Grant program, earmarked for…
October 30, 2012
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the building that houses the Tennessee Supreme Court, original handwritten versions of the three state constitutions will be on display for the public for the first time.The display is part of a week-long celebration of the building and includes the opening of…
October 29, 2012
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the appointment of Keith Siskin to the 16th Judicial District Circuit Court, which serves Rutherford and Cannon counties.As a judge in the 16th District, Siskin fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Don Ash to a senior judge position…
October 23, 2012
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee will present the compelling stories of five American soldiers captured and held as prisoners of war by the Germans in World War II. Although they were of different backgrounds and faiths and had different prison experiences, the young men shared some…
October 22, 2012
Nashville, Tenn. – Eleven attorneys have applied to fill the vacancy on the Tennessee Court of Appeals Eastern Section, which serves 13 judicial districts in east Tennessee. The vacancy was created by the retirement of Court of Appeals Judge Herschel P. Franks on December 31, 2012.The…
October 19, 2012
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice Holder and Access to Justice Commission Chair Buck Lewis presented to students at The University of Tennessee College of Law recently about Access to Justice efforts.The pair spoke about what the court has done to promote access to justice in Tennessee. The…
October 12, 2012
Nashville, Tenn. – In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Carl J. Wagner’s convictions of especially aggravated robbery and first degree felony murder for shooting nineteen-year-old Adriel Charles Powell in the laundry room of a Nashville apartment complex on August 27, 2008…
October 11, 2012
It was all in the family at the recent swearing in of Circuit Court Judge Mike Binkley, the newest judge in the 21st Judicial Circuit.Judge Binkley was sworn in by his brother, Davidson County 5th Circuit Court Judge Joe P. Binkley Jr. of the 20th Judicial Circuit. The ceremony took place August 31…
October 10, 2012
The Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications for the Circuit Court vacancy in the 6th Judicial District. The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Judge Wheeler A. Rosenbalm on January 1, 2013.Interested applicants must be an attorney who is at least 30 years of age, a…
October 10, 2012
Nashville, Tenn.– In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court rejected claims by Travis Kinte Echols that police lacked probable cause for his arrest and that his felony murder conviction should be reversed because of several errors during his jury trial.On June 18, 2005, a man later…
October 9, 2012
CENTER CITY, MN — The Hazelden Legal Professionals Program awarded its first “Excellence in Legal Community Leadership Award” to Judge Robert L. Childers of Tennessee, immediate past Chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs.Link Christin, Hazelden’s Legal…
October 8, 2012
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court today adopted six plain-language forms that can be used in certain civil cases in general sessions courts. General sessions courts handle specified civil cases that involve matters up to a limited dollar amount.The forms simplify legal…
October 8, 2012
Judge Wheeler A. Rosenbalm, Circuit Court Judge for the Sixth Judicial District, has announced his retirement from the bench, effective January 1, 2013.In a letter to Governor Bill Haslam dated October 4, Judge Rosenbalm said, “It has been a great pleasure and tremendous privilege for me to have…
October 4, 2012
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that the agreement between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (“Metro”), through the Davidson County Sheriff, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) does not violate the Metro Charter or other…
October 4, 2012
Nashville, Tenn.– In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that a re-filed malpractice lawsuit must follow state statutes in effect at the time of re-filing.In 2006, Curtis Myers suffered a stroke and was treated by various healthcare providers. The next year, he filed a complaint…
October 1, 2012
Nashville, Tenn. – The Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications for the Court of Appeals vacancy in the Eastern Division. The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Judge Herschel P. Franks on December 31, 2012.
Interested applicants must be an attorney who is at least 30…
October 1, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld a trial court’s damage award against a mother who misled her boyfriend by telling him he was the child’s father when he was not. In its ruling, the Court stated that an intentional misrepresentation claim, which is already recognized in Tennessee’s courts,…
October 1, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that misdemeanor convictions for passing worthless checks may be used to impeach credibility because the offense of passing worthless checks involves dishonesty.Wanda F. Russell was indicted on four counts of theft over $1,000 but less than $10,000. The State…
September 27, 2012
10th Judicial District, Athens, Tenn. – Thanks to ongoing generous donations from the Frist Foundation’s Ansley Fund, attorneys and community members and organizations, students attending 12 public and private schools in the 10th Judicial District will hear oral arguments in three state Supreme…
September 27, 2012
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the 45-day suspension of a Chattanooga attorney’s law license. In a unanimous opinion, the Court affirmed the decision of a hearing panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility that Fred T. Hanzelik violated ethics rules governing the collection of fees,…