The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed a three-judge panel to hear a dispute over control of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority, Chattanoogan.com reports. The panel includes Hamilton County Chancellor Jeff Atherton, who will serve as chief judge, along with 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Joseph Woodruff and 28th Judicial District Chancellor Michael Mansfield. The appointment comes as the new state-appointed airport board seeks to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the locally appointed board and replace that board's attorney, John Konvalinka with Grant Konvalinka & Harrison. Chattanooga lawyer and former U.S. Attorney Sandy Mattice with the Mattice Group filed a motion to represent the new state-appointed board, dismiss the suit and dismiss Konvalinka.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled in two cases that a prior product liability decision does not require dismissal of a lawsuit over a fatal accident involving use of a seatbelt extender with a child’s booster seat. The case arose from a 2013 head-on collision that killed Benjamin Woodruff and seriously injured his 6-year-old son, Ethan, after the booster seat restraint allegedly released during the crash. The boy's mother, Sarah Woodruff, subsequently sued Ford Motor Co. and Dorel Juvenile Group, alleging the companies failed to warn consumers about the dangers of using a seatbelt extender to secure a booster seat. In the opinion, the high court held that its 2021 decision in Coffman v. Armstrong International Inc. did not bar failure-to-warn claims involving the combined use of two products. It thus found the Court of Appeals erred in dismissing the claims on that basis. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts or read the first opinion and the second opinion.

The Tennessee Supreme Court continued its longstanding SCALES (Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students) program this year, engaging with rising high school seniors at both Volunteer Girls State and Volunteer Boys State. Justices Sarah Campbell and Mary Wagner took part in the 80th American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Volunteer Girls State (VGS) session at Lipscomb University, where they held a candid fireside chat that ALA VGS Chair Jenise Gordon said gives the roughly 500 attendees "permission to be ambitious and uncertain at the same time." Meanwhile, Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and colleagues visited the 87th Volunteer Boys State at Tennessee Tech University, where 400 young men observed oral arguments and interacted with justices off the bench. Since 1995, SCALES has brought the state's judiciary directly to these mock-government programs — which together have educated tens of thousands of Tennessee students since the 1940s — with organizers crediting the experience for inspiring many delegates to pursue law careers. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The TBA on June 30 filed comments on several proposed changes to Tennessee Supreme Court rules. The first comment expresses support for changes to Rules 41 and 42, which govern the Tennessee Language Access Program and Court Interpreter Program. The TBA said the changes are a “meaningful step toward ensuring that individuals with limited English proficiency receive qualified interpreter services in Tennessee courts.” The second comment expresses support for changes to Rule 50A, which governs the Pro Bono Emeritus Attorney Program. The TBA said that the revisions will bring needed clarity to eligibility requirements, the application process, and the obligations of both emeritus attorneys and sponsoring organizations. Changes to all three rules were proposed by the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and published for comment by the court on May 1.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has named J. Scott Griswold as the new clerk of the appellate courts effective July 1. Griswold will succeed James M. Hivner, who did not seek reappointment after serving 12 years in the role. As clerk, Griswold will serve the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals and oversee staff in Jackson, Knoxville and Nashville. He most recently served as Knox County clerk and master. Before joining the court system, Griswold was in private practice, focusing primarily on estate planning, estate administration and litigation. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. "Scott Griswold brings a deep well of experience and proven leadership to this role. His years as the Knox County Clerk and Master gave him firsthand knowledge of the demands on our courts and the importance of efficient, accessible operations," Chief Justice Jeff Bivins said in a press release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday vacated the second-degree murder convictions of Antonio Demetrius Adkisson, holding that his confession was involuntary and should not have been admitted at trial. In 2017, the 17-year-old was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Milan, tried as an adult after a juvenile court transfer and ultimately convicted by a jury of two counts of second-degree murder. The court upheld the transfer decision and found that Adkisson had validly waived his Miranda rights, but ruled that his confession was nonetheless involuntary under the totality of the circumstances, constituting a violation of the Fifth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution. As a result, the court vacated his convictions and remanded the case for further proceedings, over a partial dissent from Justice Sarah Campbell arguing that the confession was not unconstitutionally coercive. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners is seeking licensed Tennessee attorneys to serve as volunteers to conduct Character and Fitness interviews of applicants to the Tennessee bar. Eligible attorneys must be licensed and in good standing in Tennessee, have been admitted to practice for at least five years, reside in Tennessee and not teach in any capacity at a law school. Volunteers are appointed to a five-year term and may be reappointed for one additional five-year term. All appointments are subject to approval by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Those interested in serving or who would like to nominate an eligible attorney to serve, should complete and submit the Volunteer Interest Form by June 30.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 27 issued an order seeking comments on a proposal to amend Supreme Court Rule 21. The changes, requested by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE), would combine Sections 6 and 7 of the rule and revise the applicable deadlines and fee structures related to attorney noncompliance with annual CLE requirements. The deadline for submitting comments is July 21. Comments should reference docket number No. ADM2026-00693 and be sent to Clerk of the Appellate Courts, 401 Seventh Ave. N., Ste. 321, Nashville, TN 37219-1407 or be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov. View the proposed changes in the attachments to the court’s order.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued notice that the Tennessee General Assembly has ratified amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure and Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure. The amendments, adopted by the court in January, take effect on July 1.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday issued an opinion ordering the release of documents sealed in connection with a criminal case. In April 2024, three documents — a motion to disqualify and two supporting documents — filed in a Davidson County criminal proceeding were sealed. After learning about the existence of the sealed documents, the Nashville Banner sought to have the documents unsealed. The criminal court denied the newspaper’s motion and a panel of the Court of Criminal Appeals agreed. The Banner then appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. That court upheld the paper's right to appellate review and, after reviewing the legal standards for sealing documents filed in connection with a judicial disqualification, determined there was no compelling interest to keep the records sealed. It thus ordered the documents be made available for public inspection. Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Justice Holly Kirby each filed separate opinions concurring in part and dissenting in part. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.