On Wednesday, Chancellor I’Ashea Myles transferred Christa Pike’s legal challenge to Tennessee’s revised lethal injection protocol from Davidson County Chancery Court to the Tennessee Supreme Court, according to the Nashville Banner newsletter. Pike, the only woman currently on death row in the state, argues that the protocol is unconstitutional because it violates her “unique medical conditions.” The state sought to dismiss the case, but Myles ordered it transferred to the high court due to a recent amended rule requiring “collateral litigation” related to the “method or timing” of an execution to be filed with the court. That amendment followed a 2025 ruling in which the high court overturned a Davidson County Chancery Court ruling related to Byron Black’s execution. Pike is on death row for a murder she committed in 1996 when she was 18. Her execution is scheduled for Sept. 30.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has released the comments submitted in response to its September 2025 order soliciting feedback on seven potential regulatory reforms, which according to the court, are designed to increase access to legal representation while also ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. The comments have been combined into five separate documents: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5. Access the documents on the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resources page. Read the TBA's comments.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order on May 1 seeking comments on proposed amendments to Rule 50A, which governs Tennessee’s Pro Bono Emeritus Attorney Program. That program was created to improve access to justice by allowing retired attorneys to provide pro bono services through a sponsoring organization. The amendments were requested by the courts’ Access to Justice Commission, which says the changes are designed to clarify the qualifications and application process for the program, modify the requirements for approved emeritus attorneys and align Rule 50A with rules of the Board of Professional Responsibility and the Commission on Continuing Education. The deadline for filing comments is June 30. Written comments should reference docket number ADM2026-00434 and be mailed to Appellate Clerk James Hivner, Re: Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 50A, 401 7th Ave. N., Ste. 321, Nashville, TN 37219-1407 or be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its May docket in Knoxville on May 6. The proceedings will take place at the Tennessee Supreme Court building and be livestreamed on the court’s YouTube page. The court will hear two cases — Timothy Allen Curtis and Tammy Curtis Webb, as next of kin of Virginia Curtis ex rel. Bruce Allen Curtis v. Tiffany L. Sharp et al. and James W. Grubb et al. v. Joe D. Grubb et al. — beginning at 9 a.m. EDT and two cases — Emily Elizabeth Buckner v. Complete Wellness Chiropractic Center et al. and In re Nathaniel D. — beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Read more about the cases from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Comments in response to the Tennessee Supreme Court's Sept. 16 order seeking feedback on seven questions related to regulation of the state's legal profession are due tomorrow. The court extended the deadline to April 30 in January. The court says the goal of the effort is to increase the availability of affordable legal services in the state while ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. Comments should include docket No. ADM2025-01403 and be submitted to Clerk James Hivner, Re: Regulatory Reform, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219 or by email to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to learn more about the areas the court is reviewing.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an opinion today affirming the conviction of Ronald Matthew Lacy for theft of property over $60,000, concluding that the state had jurisdiction and sufficient evidence to support the verdict. According to a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Lacy, a Kentucky-based luxury car broker, was convicted after persuading a Lenoir City dealership owner in 2015 to wire funds for a Mercedes that Lacy did not own and never delivered. A Loudon County jury convicted Lacy of theft and Lacy moved for a new trial, arguing that Tennessee lacked territorial jurisdiction and failed to prove that he obtained Dyer’s money without effective consent. The trial court rejected those arguments and the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Lacy’s conviction. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted Lacy’s permission to appeal the decision. In its opinion, the court held that Tennessee had territorial jurisdiction because Lacy used electronic communications, including text messages and emails, to complete the transaction, and found the evidence showed he obtained the funds through deception, rendering the victim’s consent ineffective. The court upheld rulings by both the trial court and the Court of Criminal Appeals in rejecting Lacy’s arguments for a new trial.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court's order allowing media to view more parts of state-run executions, the Associated Press reports. In January, a Nashville chancellor issued an injunction favoring a coalition of news organizations suing for greater access to execution proceedings. The high court’s ruling restores the previous process, which will remain in place during the appeals process. The state, which is opposed to the expansion, argues there is no constitutional right to observe executions and that additional access would risk exposing the identities of execution team members. Media organizations argue they have a constitutional and statutory right to observe executions in their entirety.

The Tennessee Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) have issued a warning to Tennesseans about a text and email phishing scam that references an outstanding parking and/or toll violation and appears to be from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The message includes a link and/or QR code that leads to a fake website. “We want everyone know that these text messages and emails are not coming from the Tennessee Supreme Court,” said Chief Justice Jeff Bivins. “Please know that our state courts do not send text messages or emails out regarding past due tickets. This is a scam.” The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation recommends taking the following steps if you receive one of these scam messages: Ignore it. Do not respond to the message, click any links, or scan the QR code. Read more from the AOC on what to do if you receive such a message.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its April docket on April 8 at Union University in Jackson, with proceedings beginning at 9 a.m. CDT. Oral arguments will be heard at the Harvey Auditorium in the Barefoot Student Union Building and will be accessible by livestream. The court is scheduled to hear three cases addressing issues including class certification and legal malpractice claims, statutory interpretation in a negligence dispute, and the obligations of district attorneys general in municipal court proceedings. Read more about each case in a press release.

A lawsuit seeking to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office will proceed even as her term is set to end in September. The Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert’s appeal of a lower court decision allowing the ouster case to move forward and found that the county attorney has the authority to bring the lawsuit, according to Action News 5. Halbert has faced repeated scrutiny in recent years, including calls for her removal over audit findings and concerns about management of the clerk’s office.