Tennessee Court of Appeals
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Court of Appeals was created in 1925 by the Tennessee General Assembly
as an intermediate appellate court
to hear appeal
s in civil cases
from the Tennessee state trial court
s.
(Appeals from criminal cases
are heard by the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
.) Appeals of judgments made by the Court of Appeals may be made to the Tennessee Supreme Court
.
s who sit on three-judge panels in Jackson
, Knoxville
, and Nashville
. Judges are chosen via the Tennessee Plan
: they are elected every eight years, and must be evaluated prior to the election in order to keep voters informed. If a vacancy occurs between election cycles (for example, if a judge dies or retires), the 17-member Tennessee Judicial Selection Commission interviews applicants and recommends three candidates to the governor. The governor then appoints a new judge to serve in the interim period until the next August general election.
The twelve judges sitting on the Court are:
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
as an intermediate appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
to hear appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s in civil cases
Civil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
from the Tennessee state trial court
Trial court
A trial court or court of first instance is a court in which trials take place. Such courts are said to have original jurisdiction.- In the United States :...
s.
(Appeals from criminal cases
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
are heard by the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
The Court of Criminal Appeals is one of Tennessee's two intermediate appellate courts. It hears trial court appeals in felony and misdemeanor cases, as well as post-conviction petitions. Appeals in civil cases are heard by the Tennessee Court of Appeals....
.) Appeals of judgments made by the Court of Appeals may be made to the Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Tennessee. Cornelia Clark is the current Chief Justice.Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state legislature, the Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the...
.
Judges
The Court has twelve judgeJudge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s who sit on three-judge panels in Jackson
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, and Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Judges are chosen via the Tennessee Plan
Tennessee Plan
The Tennessee Plan is a system of judicial appointment used in Tennessee. The system attempts to limit the influence of partisan politics over the state's judiciary...
: they are elected every eight years, and must be evaluated prior to the election in order to keep voters informed. If a vacancy occurs between election cycles (for example, if a judge dies or retires), the 17-member Tennessee Judicial Selection Commission interviews applicants and recommends three candidates to the governor. The governor then appoints a new judge to serve in the interim period until the next August general election.
The twelve judges sitting on the Court are:
- Andy D. Bennett – Middle Division
- Frank G. Clement – Middle Division
- Patricia J. Cottrell – Middle Division
- Richard H. Dinkins – Middle Division
- David R. Farmer – Western Division
- Herschel P. Franks – Eastern Division
- Alan E. Highers – Western Division
- Holly M. Kirby – Western Division
- John Westley McClarty – Eastern Division
- J. Steven Stafford – Western Division
- Charles D. Susano – Eastern Division
- D. Michael Swiney – Eastern Division
External links
- Homepage of the Tennessee Court of Appeals
- Description of the Court from the Tennessee Blue BookTennessee Blue BookThe Tennessee Blue Book is an official government manual for the U.S. state of Tennessee, published by the Secretary of State of Tennessee.The Blue Book is typically published on a biennial basis...