Tennessee Court of Appeals
| Tennessee Court of Appeals | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1925 |
| Jurisdiction | Tennessee, United States |
| Location | Knoxville, Nashville, and Jackson |
| Composition method | Executive selection plus Non-partisan retention see Tennessee Plan |
| Authorized by | Tennessee General Assembly |
| Appeals to | Tennessee Supreme Court |
| Number of positions | 12 – panels of 3 justices |
| Website | Official website |
The Tennessee Court of Appeals (in case citation, Tenn. Ct. App.) was created in 1925 by the Tennessee General Assembly as an intermediate appellate court to hear appeals in civil cases from the Tennessee state trial courts. Appeals of judgments made by the Court of Appeals may be made to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Judges
The Court has twelve judges 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 as of February 2025 are:[1]
| Section | Judge | Joined | Appointer | Law school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western | Kenny Armstrong | 2014 | Bill Haslam (R) | Duke |
| Middle | Andy D. Bennett | 2007 | Phil Bredesen (D) | Vanderbilt |
| Middle | Frank G. Clement, Jr. | 2003 | Phil Bredesen (D) | Nashville |
| Eastern | Kristi M. Davis | 2020 | Bill Lee (R) | Tennessee |
| Eastern | Thomas R. Frierson, II | 2013 | Bill Haslam (R) | Tennessee |
| Middle | W. Neal McBrayer | 2013 | Bill Haslam (R) | William & Mary |
| Eastern | John Westley McClarty | 2009 | Phil Bredesen (D) | Southern |
| Western | Carma Dennis McGee | 2019 | Bill Lee (R) | Memphis |
| Western | Valerie L. Smith | 2025 | Bill Lee (R) | Memphis |
| Western | J. Steven Stafford | 2008 | Phil Bredesen (D) | Samford |
| Eastern | D. Michael Swiney | 1999 | Don Sundquist (R) | Tennessee |
| Middle | Jeffrey Usman | 2022 | Bill Lee (R) | Vanderbilt |
See also
References
- ^ "Court of Appeals Judges". TN Administrative Office of the Courts. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
External links
State intermediate appellate courts in the United States | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
The states of Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming do not have intermediate appellate courts. Nor do the equivalent court systems of American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands | ||