Tennessee Governor Bill Lee swore in Justice Dwight E. Tarwater on Friday to serve on the state Supreme Court.
As previously reported by The Tennessee Star Lee appointed Tarwater to the high court in February and the legislature confirmed him as a Supreme Court Justice in March.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court recently unanimously elected Justice Holly Kirby to serve as the Court’s next Chief Justice.
Kirby is succeeding Justice Roger Page, who was appointed as Chief Justice in 2021.
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Tennessee has added new restrictions to allowing residents with out-of-state felony convictions to regain voting privileges.
Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins wrote a person convicted of a felony must receive a pardon from a governor of the United States president or have their full rights of citizenship restored and then must have paid all owed restitution and assessed court costs along with being current on child support obligations.
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Attorney John Harris joined host Michael Patrick Leahy in studio on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss the state of the court case to release the Covenant Killer Manifesto between Tennessee Firearms Association, Metro Nashville, the Covenant School, and many others. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 6:06 AM…
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Governor Bill Lee appointed Dwight Tarwater to the Tennessee Supreme Court this week.
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Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Senior Attorney Cam Norris of Consovoy McCarthy Park Cam Norris and East Tennessean to the newsmaker line to discuss clerking for Justice Clarence Thomas and the Tennessee Supreme Court candidate process.
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A Tennessee Supreme Court Justice will retire next year, according to a press release.
“Today I notified Governor Lee I will retire on Aug. 31, 2023. It’s been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve in the TN judiciary. I am filled with gratitude,” said Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee, attaching an official statement.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court heard arguments, on Wednesday, regarding the voting rights of Earnest Falls, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Virginia in 1986.
Earnest Fall’s attorney, Bill Harbison, argued for Falls’ right to vote, saying, “A fundamental bedrock interest in this case is that a person who has the fundamental right to vote does not need his rights restored.”
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The Tennessee Supreme Court announced Monday that it appointed a new reporter to the Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure, Lynn Zehrt, who is currently a professor at Belmont University College of Law.
The previous Reporter to the Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure Jeffrey Usman, was recently appointed by Governor Bill Lee to the Court of Appeals.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court decision to appoint Jonathan Skrmetti as the attorney general was outstanding. In fact, it could have powerful, transformative impact on our freedom, constitutional rights and religious liberty.
Why?
Because Tennessee must take the lead in stopping federal overreach and abuse of power.
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Southeastern Legal Foundation Director of Litigation Braden Boucek to the newsmaker line to discuss the recent Tennessee state attorney general appointment of conservative Jonathan Skrmetti.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court announced in a statement released on Wednesday that they have selected Jonathan Skrmetti to serve as the state’s next Attorney General and Reporter.
“Mr. Skrmetti has dedicated the majority of his career to public service and has the breadth of experience and vision necessary to lead the Attorney General’s office for the next eight years,” Chief Justice Roger A. Page said. “He is an accomplished attorney with a deep understanding of Tennessee government and our judicial system.”
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host and lead political reporter for The Tennessee Star, Aaron Gulbransen in studio to weigh in on the FBI’s raid on former President Trump’s private residence and Monday’s Tennessee AG interviews at the Supreme Court.
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Tennessee Supreme Court held public interviews for the six applicants in the process to select the next attorney general.
“The applicants were all remarkable, experienced, and gracious in their answers during a robust interview process,” Chief Justice Roger A. Page said. “The applicant pool is outstanding. This is an extremely important decision for our state, and the Court thanks all of the applicants for fielding our questions.”
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A Tennessee trial court ruled Friday that Tennessee’s Education Scholarship Program can move forward.
A three-judge panel heard arguments earlier in the day from the American Civil Liberties Union and Southern Poverty Law Center. The two groups had asked the court to deliver an injunction against the pilot program.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court announced public hearings for the six applicants for attorney general in a statement issued on Monday.
“The Tennessee Supreme Court will begin a public hearing on August 8, 2022, that will include formal interviews of the six applicants for Attorney General and Reporter. Under the state constitution, the Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter is appointed by the state Supreme Court and serves an eight-year term,” said the Court.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court has released the complete list of individuals that elected to apply to become Tennessee’s next Attorney General.
In total, six individuals elected to position themselves for the vacancy. Several applicants already serve in state government in some capacity. Others include a law professor and a private attorney.
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For the first time in Tennessee history, the Tennessee Supreme Court has made the names of ALL candidates available to the public.
The Court lists the applications of William Edwin “Bill” Young of Brentwood, Jerome Cochran of Gallatin, Donald Q. Cochran, Jr. of Nashville, and David Michael Dunavant of Covington as of 4pm on Thursday, July 28.
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As Tennesseans prepare to head to the polls on August 4, where they will vote on whether to retain the state’s five Supreme Court justices, The Tennessee Star has completed a profile on each justice currently sitting on the bench.
Last week, The Star profiled Justice Roger Page.
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As Tennesseans prepare to head to the polls on August 4, where they will vote on whether to retain the state’s five Supreme Court justices, The Tennessee Star has completed a profile on each justice currently sitting on the bench.
Last week, The Star profiled Justice Sharon Lee.
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The deadline for an individual to submit an application to be considered in the Tennessee Supreme Court’s process of choosing the next attorney general is on Friday, July 29.
“Interested candidates must submit an application by 12:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 29, 2022. The Supreme Court will hold a public hearing to interview candidates on August 8 and 9, 2022 at the Nashville Supreme Court Building. The hearings will be livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page,” the Court said in statement earlier in July.
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As Tennesseans prepare to head to the polls on August 4, where they will vote on whether to retain the state’s five Supreme Court justices, The Tennessee Star has completed a profile on each justice currently sitting on the bench.
Last week, The Star profiled Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins.
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As Tennesseeans prepare to head to the polls on August 4, where they will vote on whether to retain the state’s five Supreme Court justices, The Tennessee Star is profiling each justice who currently sits on the bench.
Justice Roger Page was first appointed to the Court by former Governor Bill Haslem (R) in 2016. He is the Court’s newest member. In August of that year, Page was elected to serve a full term, until 2022.
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As Tennesseans prepare to head to the polls on August 4, where they will vote on whether to retain the state’s five Supreme Court justices, The Tennessee Star is profiling each justice who currently sits on the bench.
Justice Sharon Lee was first appointed to the Court by former Governor Phil Bredesen (D) in 2008. She was retained by voters in 2010, and in 2014. From 2014 to 2016, she served as the state’s chief justice.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen in-studio to talk about the AG selection in the state of Tennessee and the unanswered calls for comment by Governor Lee’s alleged pick for new AG, Brandon Gibson. Leahy and Gulbransen later called for Gibson to come on the show and state her case.
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The application period for Tennessee’s next attorney general opened Friday.
In a unique process, unlike in any other state, the position of attorney general is not an elected office in Tennessee. Rather, the person who holds the position is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court.
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Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Professor John Dinan of Wake Forest University to comment upon the AG selection in the state of Tennessee and suggest possible remedies.
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the founder of the (NeW) Network of Enlightened Women, Karen Lips to the newsmaker line to discuss the organization’s recent call for part-time attorneys not to continuously take the bar due to their part-time status and create a more family-friendly policy in the state of Tennessee and others.
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All of the Tennessee State Supreme Court justices will have their retention elections take place on August 4.
The current Tennessee Supreme Court is composed of justices Sharon G. Lee, Jeffery S. Bivins, Holly Kirby, Sarah K. Campbell, and Chief Justice Roger A. Page.
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In a press statement, the Tennessee Supreme Court announced the details of application and selection process in the search for Tennessee’s next Attorney General.
“The Tennessee Supreme Court will open the application period for the position of State Attorney General and Reporter on July 15, 2022. Under the state constitution, the Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter is appointed by the state Supreme Court and serves an eight-year term. The term for the new Attorney General will begin September 1, 2022,” said the Court in a statement.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen in-studio to discuss the upcoming Epoch Times debate and the lack of transparency on candidates vying for Tennessee’s state attorney general.
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Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed John Harris, founder of the Tennessee Firearms Association, in studio to comment on the possibility of a violation of the national constitutional principles of separation of powers in regard to the selection of Tennessee’s state attorneys general.
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A women’s group is vying for the state of Tennessee to change its rules about admitting recently relocated lawyers to the State Bar Association, claiming that the current rules are not amenable to mothers who wish to work part-time.
State Bar Associations often have agreements with other states allowing reciprocity for lawyers who relocate to be admitted to the Bar in their new state.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in-studio to discuss the unavailability of Tennessee Supreme Court Justic Jeffrey Bivins to be interviewed as the retention election draws near.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court, which is the body that appoints the state’s attorney general, has yet to announce an official process in the search to replace Attorney General Herbert Slatery who leaves office at the end of August.
The process is expected to be conducted in a similar manner as the one that yielded Slatery. He has served as Tennessee’s attorney general since 2014 and not seeking an additional eight-year term.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen in-studio to discuss the call for transparency by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s process in the election of a state attorney general.
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The Beacon Center of Tennessee filed a brief in the Tennessee Supreme Court supporting Violaine Panasci, an attorney who was denied admission to the Tennessee Bar.
Panasci was denied admission to the Tennessee Bar, according to Beacon, because she went “to the wrong law school.”
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In a statement provided to The Tennessee Star Friday, Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) Chair Scott Golden reacted to the unanimous decision by the Tennessee Supreme Court that “completely vindicated” the party’s actions in determining that Robby Starbuck, a disqualified Tennessee 5th Congressional District candidate, was not a bona fide Republican because he did not meet the requirements as outline in the bylaws.
Golden said, “We very much appreciate the unanimous decision of the Tennessee Supreme Court today. The ruling completely vindicated the actions of the Tennessee Republican Party and affirmed our authority to ensure that only Bona Fide Republicans are allowed to be Republican candidates for office.”
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The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Tennessee Republican Party, vacating the injunction ordering Robby Starbuck on the August Republican Primary ballot and ruled that the TRP is not subject to the Tennessee Open Meetings Act.
The Court stated that Chancery Court Judge Russell Perkins erred in his decision.
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Robby Starbuck’s legal team filed the required response on Thursday morning with the State Supreme Court to the state of Tennessee’s petition filing which seeks to have Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Perkins’ order adding him to the ballot overturned.
Starbuck had until 10am to file the response, per the order of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court will not hear oral arguments in their expedited review of Robert Starbuck Newsom v. Tennessee Republican Party Et Al. case.
According to the case status website, a deputy clerk, and the press officer for the Tennessee Courts System, the case will be decided on briefs only.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court has assumed jurisdiction of the Tennessee Republican Party’s appeal of Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Russell Perkins’ ruling ordering disqualified TN-5 candidate Robby Starbuck on the August 4 Republican primary ballot.
The Court assumed jurisdiction over the objections of Starbuck’s legal team, who argued in a brief that their involvement was not warranted. Clearly, the Court disagreed.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy and all-star panelist Carmichael discuss the method in which the Tennessee constitution dictates the selection of an attorney general in the state.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed new official guest host Aaron Gulbransen in-studio to have a discussion questioning the governor’s power to rubber-stamp an attorney general for the state of Tennessee.
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Sources familiar with the thinking of Governor Bill Lee and his team tell The Tennessee Star that Governor Lee believes that “it is already a done deal” that his preferred choice for attorney general, Brandon Gibson, will get the appointment.
The sources spoke with The Star on background and one said, “It is very well thought by Governor Lee’s team and highest corners of office in the executive branch that the open Attorney General seat is a lock to go to Brandon Gibson.”
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The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Governor Bill Lee’s school voucher program is constitutional. The voucher program only applies to failing schools in Davidson County and Shelby County.
The court said in a statement, “The Tennessee Supreme Court determined that, while two Tennessee county governments had standing to challenge the Education Savings Account Pilot Program (the “ESA Act”), the Act is not rendered unconstitutional by the Home Rule Amendment, article XI, section 9, of the Tennessee Constitution.”
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The appointment of Tennessee’s attorney general is a process unique to this state.
The attorney general is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court and is the only state attorney general that is a member of the judicial branch, not the executive branch.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court, which in turn is empowered to appoint the state’s attorney general, is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the General Assembly.
The Tennessee Supreme Court is currently made up of justices Jeffrey S. Bivins, Sarah K. Campbell, Holly Kirby, Sharon G. Lee, and Roger A. Page.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court, which appoints the state attorney general, is likely to appoint a new one this year via a public application and hearing process in a similar manner to the one it used in 2014 to appoint Attorney General Herbert Slatery.
Slatery, who has been Tennessee’s attorney general since 2014, is not seeking an additional eight-year term.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court struck down a temporary injunction issued by a three-judge panel that would have mandated drawing new state Senate districts.
Originally, a ruling from the lower court forced the legislative body to “fix” the boundaries within 15 days of the decision, or the judicial branch would have created its own map.
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