The Judicial Nominating Commission met in Chattanooga today to review the 11 applicants for the Court of Appeals Eastern Section vacancy which serves 13 judicial districts in east Tennessee. The...
The Tennessee Supreme Court released an opinion, Tennessee v. Kevin Anthony Dickson, earlier this week that affirmed the attempted murder conviction for one East Tennessean, Kevin Anthony Dickson....
An issue before the U.S. Supreme Court involves the late appearance of evidence that may demonstrate a criminal defendant’s innocence. Though many people assume that if evidence were to arise...
The U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a criminal case out of California so it can decide whether police are allowed to stop cars based solely on an anonymous tip. The Supreme Court agreed to hear...
Leonard Edward Smith v. State of Tennessee The TN Supreme Court recently decided the case of Leonard Smith, convicted murderer on death row. The long case with a complicated procedural history began...
Justice Roberts' 2013 annual report on the Supreme Court. Here is a link to the Report.
U.S. v. Castleman The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a Tennessee case about whether one man's conviction for domestic assault is sufficient to justify him being unable to own a gun. The case,...
Last week, the Supreme Court heard two important criminal law cases involving drugs, both of which fit with a larger theme of clarifying what prosecutors must prove before they can successfully...
The Supreme Court announced that it would hear an appeal from a death row inmate in Florida who was ruled mentally disabled in 1992 but later found to be competent after receiving the minimum score...
Obiter dictum is something that is said in passing. It is an observation or opinion of the court but one not necessary to the decision at hand. It is sometimes a persuasive point but not relevant to...