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.

Browse Opinions From the Tennessee Supreme Court

Recent Decisions From the Tennessee Supreme Court
State v. Thomas  
Date: March 7, 2024
Docket Number: W2019-01202-SC-R11-CD

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Tennessee heard the appeal of Tony Thomas and Laronda Turner, both convicted of three counts of first-degree premeditated murder stemming from a 2015 triple homicide in Memphis. The defendants were…

Williams v. Smyrna Residential, LLC  
Date: February 16, 2024
Docket Number: M2021-00927-SC-R11-CV

Justia Opinion Summary: In a wrongful death action against an assisted-living facility, the Supreme Court of Tennessee held that the claims were subject to arbitration as per an agreement signed by the deceased's attorney-in-fact. The court…

State v. Eady  
Date: February 6, 2024
Docket Number: M2021-00388-SC-R11-CD

Justia Opinion Summary: A man, David Wayne Eady, who was charged with multiple robberies in Nashville over a month, appealed the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals which denied his motion to disqualify the District Attorney General’s…

Earheart v. Central Transport  
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…

Pandharipande v. FSD Corp.  
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…

Crotty v. Flora  
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…

State v. Robinson  
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…

Baskin v. Pierce & Allred Construction, Inc.  
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…

Commercial Painting Co. v. Weitz Co., LLC  
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…

Welch v. Oaktree Health & Rehabilitation Center LLC  
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…

Adams v. Dunavant  
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,…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

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.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.