TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

Court Rejects Appeal of Probation Revocation

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 21, 2025

On April 9, the Tennessee Supreme Court rejected a motion from Davidson County lawyer Michael Lloyd Freeman to appeal a Board of Professional Responsibility decision to revoke his probation. On June 21, 2021, the Supreme Court suspended Freeman for three years, with 90 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. During the active suspension, complaints were lodged again him. After a hearing, the Board of Professional Responsibility determined that probation should be revoked, and Freeman be required to serve the remainder of the time on active suspension. It informed Freeman that he had 60 days to appeal the decision to the circuit or chancery court. The Supreme Court found that information to be incorrect. Under the rules, a hearing panel’s order on a petition to revoke probation is to be treated as a decree of the trial court. Thus, any appeal is to be made to the Supreme Court within 30 days. Freeman appealed 37 days after the hearing panel’s decision. The trial court, recognizing that it lacked jurisdiction, transferred the appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal for timeliness but noted that Freeman could file a motion requesting entry of a corrected judgment, which, if granted, would begin a new 30-day time frame for appealing.

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