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.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah K. Campbell will serve as the keynote speaker for the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law's Spring 2026 commencement ceremony on May 14. Campbell joined the court in February 2022. Prior to her appointment, she served in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office as associate solicitor general and special assistant to the attorney general. “We are honored to welcome Justice Campbell back to Rocky Top for this milestone event in our graduating students’ law school journey,” said Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. Campbell graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2004 and from Duke University School of Law in 2009. Read more in a press release from the law school.

In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that a Grundy County resolution regulating quarry locations is effectively a zoning ordinance enacted in violation of the Tennessee County Zoning Act (CZA). The act requires counties to hold a public hearing and submit proposed ordinances to the regional planning commission before adopting zoning measures. The court found that Grundy County passed the ordinance without complying with those requirements. The suit was brought by two quarry owners after they were informed their property was in violation of a county ordinance requiring quarries to be located more than 5,000 feet away from specified types of establishments. The trial court and Court of Appeals agreed with the county that the ordinance was not a zoning regulation subject to the requirements of the CZA. The Supreme Court unanimously reversed, finding the ordinance divided the county into zones and regulated land use in a manner consistent with zoning, making it subject to the CZA's requirements. Read more in a release from the court.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force is hosting a series of virtual town halls. Thursday's event will start at noon CDT and will focus on whether the court should consider modifying requirements for admission to the Tennessee Bar for those licensed in other states to promote interstate practice and mobility. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force is hosting a series of virtual town halls. Monday's event will start at noon CDT and focus on ABA Accreditation; Thursday's session will also begin at noon CST and cover Interstate Mobility and Reciprocity. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

The Tennessee Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the Attorney General’s Office to take up a case involving a lawsuit challenging the state’s abortion ban, meaning the case is now likely to go to trial, the Nashville Banner reports. The plaintiffs in the initial lawsuit included several women who suffered medical complications during their pregnancies but were unable to receive medical care and doctors who were unable to give care under the law. The plaintiffs initially sued the state in September 2023. In October 2024, a three-judge panel ruled the state could not discipline doctors for giving medically necessary abortions. In October 2025, a three-judge panel declined to dismiss the suit. A two-week non-jury trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on April 27.