Tennessee Supreme Court Decisions
Under the Tennessee Constitution, the Tennessee Supreme Court hears appeals in Nashville, Jackson, and Knoxville, as well as other cities if needed. It reviews appeals of both civil and criminal cases from courts such as the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. If one of the lower appellate courts fails to reach a decision in an emergency situation, the Supreme Court may assume jurisdiction and decide the case. In addition, the Court may review cases that pose constitutional questions, cases that involve state tax rules, and cases that relate to the right to hold public office. The Court consists of five justices, each of whom serves a term of eight years.
Article 8-18-101 of the Tennessee Constitution provides specific requirements for a prospective justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court. In addition to meeting these requirements, a candidate must be at least 35 years old and must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee. They must have been a resident of the state for at least five years. The Governor of Tennessee appoints each new justice, and the Tennessee General Assembly must confirm each appointment. In the next general election after a justice is appointed, they must go through a retention election. If they are retained, they will need to go through another retention election at the end of their term to stay on the Court. This system has faced several legal challenges, but the Supreme Court has held that retention elections are constitutional. Only one justice has been removed or not retained under the current system.
The Chief Justice currently serves a term of two years, although this has varied during the history of the Court. The justices of the Court choose the Chief Justice, as provided by the Tennessee Constitution.
- 2023 (30)
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- 1948 (1)
- 1904 (1)
Recent Decisions From the Tennessee Supreme Court
Date: November 22, 2023
Docket Number: M2023-00384-SC-WCM-WC
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (appeals board) affirming the judgment of the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims (trial court) ordering Employer to pay Employee's…
Date: October 17, 2023
Docket Number: M2020-01174-SC-R11-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the decision of the court of appeals affirming the order of the trial court granting summary judgment in favor of a homeowners' association (HOA) in this dispute…
Date: September 29, 2023
Docket Number: M2021-01193-SC-R11-CV
Date: September 29, 2023
Docket Number: M2021-01193-SC-R11-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the two pretrial orders of the trial court challenged by the defendant physician in a health care liability action in this interlocutory appeal, holding that this Court declines to modify its…
Date: September 29, 2023
Docket Number: M2021-01539SC-R11-CD
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of criminal appeals reversing the trial court's sentence imposed in connection with Defendant's plea of guilty to vehicular homicide by intoxication and other…
Date: September 28, 2023
Docket Number: M2021-00144-SC-R11-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals reversing the conclusion of the trial court that Plaintiff failed to establish Defendant's requisite minimum contacts with Tennessee, and thus the court…
Date: September 28, 2023
Docket Number: W2019-02089-SC-R11-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals as to the applicability of the economic loss doctrine in this case, holding that the economic loss doctrine applies only in products liability cases and…
Date: August 31, 2023
Docket Number: W2020-00917-SC-R11-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: On appeal from the trial court's denial of a motion to compel arbitration in this wrongful death lawsuit brought against Defendant, a nursing home, the Supreme Court held that Defendant did not meet the requirements for…
Date: July 21, 2023
Docket Number: W2023-00304-SC-T10B-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals in this interpleader action reversing the judgment of the probate court denying a motion for the probate judge's recusal in this interpleader action,…
Date: July 20, 2023
Docket Number: M2019-02237-SC-R11-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing the order of the trial court granting Defendant's motion for summary judgment under the common-law rule governing vicarious liability claims,…
Date: July 20, 2023
Docket Number: M2020-00341-SC-R11-CV
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing the judgment of the trial court granting Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiff's vicarious liability claims under the common-law rule, holding…
Date: July 14, 2023
Docket Number: E2020-01712-SC-R11-CD
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of criminal appeals reverting Defendant's aggravated robbery convictions to a classification lower due to the absence of a gang enhancement, holding that the court of…
Date: July 11, 2023
Docket Number: W2022-01294-SC-R3-BP
Date: July 7, 2023
Docket Number: W2019-01059-SC-R11-PD
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the post-conviction court denying Petitioner's petition for post-conviction relief, holding that the provisions of Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 13 are constitutional as applied, that…
Date: June 30, 2023
Docket Number: M2022-00755-SC-BAR-BP
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
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