Tennessee Court Talk is a podcast presented by the Tennessee Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts. The aim of the podcast is to improve the administration of justice in state courts through education and understanding.
Medical debt is an unwelcome burden with lasting repercussions for many Tennesseans each year. The Hamilton County General Sessions Court is at the forefront of a pilot program that began in 2021 that gives those with unpaid medical bills to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga the opportunity to negotiate a better outcome for themselves without ever having to enter a courtroom.On this episode of Tennessee Court Talk, host Samantha Fisher sits down with AOC Program Manager Dana Schmidt, Erlanger Hospital Associate General Counsel of the revenue cycle and the judicial sponsor of this program, Judge Alex McVeagh discuss the path that the ODR program has been on since 2021 and what lies ahead for the ODR program moving forward. This podcast was recorded over Zoom and is intended for all audiences.
9/27/24 • 23:21
On this episode, the newest member of the Tennessee Supreme Court, Mary Wagner sits down with host Nick Morgan to discuss her transition from the trial bench to the appellate bench. Justice Wagner also discusses growing up in a family of lawyers and her favorite music to listen to on the road. This episode is for all audiences. An audio only version Justice Wagner's investiture ceremony can be found as Episode 37 of Tennessee Court Talk.
9/13/24 • 06:30
A step back from our normal style of episode to bring our audience a complete audio version of Judge Mary Wagner's investiture to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Justice Wagner received a warm welcome to the appellate bench as family, friends, colleagues, elected officials, and the judiciary joined her in Germantown for a ceremonial investiture by Governor Bill Lee.For an interview with Justice Wagner and to get to know her on a more personal level, check out Ep. 36 of Tennessee Court Talk.
9/13/24 • 57:52
This episode covers the new amendments to Rule 13, including redactions that are no longer required, policies relating to mistrials, and deadlines for the 180 day rule. Host Joe Byrd explains the changes you will see moving forward, in a podcast intended for attorneys.
9/9/24 • 11:16
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger Page is a man of two careers. After 25 years of service to the Tennessee judiciary, he is hanging up his robe for a life of travel and home improvement. On this episode of Tennessee Court Talk, Justice Page sits down with host, Nick Morgan, to discuss growing up on a farm in Chester County, his love for the San Francisco Giants and how a boy who didn’t want to be a farmer, grew up to serve as the Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court. This episode is for all audiences.
8/30/24 • 17:27
Understanding what happens in a courtroom can be difficult. Even more so when English is a litigant’s second language. There are services in Tennessee to ensure that every litigant has the access to understand their day in court. In this episode of Tennessee Court Talk, host Nick Morgan sits down with Ryan Mouser, the Language Access Program Manager at the Administrative Office of the Courts. Ryan discusses how interpreters are certified and assigned as well as the need for unique language interpreters in Tennessee. This episode is for all audiences.
8/16/24 • 07:34
Attorneys, investigators, and experts are not only entitled to a reasonable fee, but they are also entitled to be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses. Section 4 of Tennessee Supreme Court, Rule 13 gives guidelines for what is covered. In this episode of Appointed Counsel, host Joe Byrd explains this guidance in detail; covering filing fees, travel, and other necessary expenses, as well as what is not covered under Rule 13. This podcast is for attorneys, court reporters, investigators, and experts.
8/9/24 • 10:57
Baseball is full of surprises. You never know when you walk into a ballpark if you might see a perfect game, a runner caught in a pickle, a measuring-tape home run…or an historic legal precedent! On August 20th, 1955, Earl Averill, Jr of the Nashville Vols punched Lyle Luttrell of the Chattanooga Lookouts in an on-field skirmish. Luttrell ended up with a broken jaw, Averill ended up with a lawsuit, and both wound up in the history books for setting a legal precedent that shocked both sports and the courts, and shaped both sports and employment law for decades to come. Join host Dave Stripling of Tennessee Court Talk, and guests Judge Andy Bennett of the Tennessee Court of Appeals and Randy Averill for the star-studded tale of “The Hit Heard Round The State!” Produced and Edited by Dave Stripling Supervising Producer: Nick MorganMUSIC ATTRIBUTION:Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Artist: http://audionautix.com/Happy Bee Surf by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300015Artist: http://incompetech.com/Last Kiss Goodnight by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100611Artist: http://incompetech.com/
7/12/24 • 22:54
In this very short episode, host Joe Byrd explains the compensation rate increase for indigent attorneys in Tennessee, and how it has been implemented as of July 1st of 2024. There has also been an increase in the cap, based on hours worked. This podcast is intended for attorneys.
7/5/24 • 03:43
The simple explanation of the role of an appellate court judge is to determine whether or not the law was applied correctly in the trial court. However, everyone in an appellate courtroom is human and judges strive to understand the situations of the parties in front of them. Some of those situations can be very personal, especially for self-represented litigants. In this episode, host Nick Morgan, Digital Media Lead for the Administrative Office of the Courts sits down with Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Steve Stafford to discuss the difference between being impartial and understanding tough situations. This episode is for all audiences.
6/21/24 • 14:35
In this episode of Appointed Counsel, host Joe Byrd speaks with Lisa Angel, Court Reporter Manager for the AOC, as they discuss the importance of court reporters, the processes of invoicing, and exactly how attorneys should work with court reporters to prepare transcripts. This episode is intended for attorneys and court reporters.
6/10/24 • 12:24
There are many members of a court staff that make a courtroom work efficiently and effectively. In Tennessee, circuit court judges may have three to four county courtrooms to manage with different staff members in each courtroom. In this episode of Tennessee Court Talk, AOC Communications Director Samantha Fisher sits down with Chancellor J.B. Cox of the 17th Judicial District in Tennessee to discuss relationships in the courtroom and the amount of communication it takes for each staff to work with a judge during a court proceeding. This episode was recorded at the 2024 Spring Tennessee Judicial Conference. This episode is intended for judges and other members of the legal community.
6/7/24 • 19:59
In this episode of Tennessee Court Talk, AOC Communications Director Samantha Fisher discusses misconceptions in the courtroom with Tennessee Senior Judge, Don Ash. Find out why Judge Ash considers presiding over court a lot like umpiring a baseball game and the rules that judges in Tennessee follow in order to rule from the bench. Recorded at the Spring 2024 TJC conference in Murfreesboro, TN.This episode is for all audiences.
5/24/24 • 12:08
Almost half of all claims that come into the AOC are related to Juvenile Court. In this episode, host Joe Byrd welcomes Stacy Lynch, Director of the Court Improvement Program, who has a lifetime of experience with Juvenile Courts. Here, Stacy and Joe give insight into how attorneys can navigate the system effectively, including discussion of Rule 13, Rule 40, and necessary information regarding guardian ad litems, CASA volunteers, Safe Baby Court, court findings of potential dependency and neglect, and more. This podcast is intended for attorneys.Produced by David Stripling, Administrative Office of the Courts
5/10/24 • 22:24
Appellate courts can be a mystery. In this episode of Tennessee Court Talk, judges of the Tennessee Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals pull back the curtain. Judges Jill Ayers, Frank Clement, Tom Greenholtz, and Steve Stafford explore a wide variety of topics ranging from arguing cases before appellate courts to the issuance of opinions. Judge Jeffrey Usman hosts their discussion as these judges attempt to make Tennessee’s appellate courts less mysterious. This episode is intended for all audiences.
5/3/24 • 52:58
Technology is changing at a rapid pace, and judicial systems here in Tennessee and around the U.S. are finding innovative ways to keep up, from positive uses of AI, to civic education, to improved access to justice, data access, and more. In this episode--recorded at the 2024 Conference of Chief Justices in Nashville, Tennessee--Justice Sarah Campbell interviews Chief Justice Mary R. Russell of Missouri, Chief Justice Elissa Cadish of Nevada, Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement of Michigan, and Chief Justice Ann Timmer of Arizona about how new technologies have been implemented in their respective states. This episode is for all audiences.
4/19/24 • 50:21
This episode of Appointed Counsel deals with how to get paid when a case in General Sessions court is bound over to the grand jury. As an attorney appointed to represent a defendant in one of these cases, one may question whether or not they may be compensated for the extra time. The short answer is yes, and Joe Byrd is here to explain the details. This podcast is intended for attorneys.Produced by David Stripling, Administrative Office of the Courts
4/8/24 • 06:37
April is Help4TN month! In this episode, the hosts of Lady Justice: Women of the court take over Tennessee Court Talk to discuss the Tennessee Justice Bus. Justice Elizabeth D. Walker of West Virginia and Justice Rhonda K. Wood of Arkansas sit down with Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeff Bivins and Anne-Lousie Wirthlin, Director of Access to Justice and Strategic Development for the Administrative Office of the Tennessee Courts sit down for a discussion on the Tennessee Justice Bus, the legal law office bringing legal help to rural communities in Tennessee. Justice Bivins and Anne-Louise answer how the justice bus came to be, how it brings lawyers to rural communities and how to schedule a Justice Bus visit.
4/5/24 • 44:25
Public trust and confidence in the courts is becoming a major concern in the media and among the public, as surveys conducted by the National Center for State Courts have shown declines in public trust over the last decade. Here to discuss this issue--and what can be done about it--are your host, Judge Neal McBrayer of the Tennessee Court of Appeals, and special guests Chief Justice Elizabeth Walker of West Virginia, Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of the District of Columbia Courts, and Chief Justice Loretta Rush of Indiana. This episode was recorded at the Conference of Chief Justices in Nashville, TN and podcast is intended for all audiences.
3/22/24 • 51:21
Occasionally Joe Byrd is asked by attorneys how to make sure their claims are processed as quickly as possible. The simple answer is to file everything correctly to avoid having the claim returned by AOC staff. In this episode of Appointed Counsel, host Joe Byrd invites AOC Senior Auditor Jada Herndon to discuss the top 10 most common reasons claims are returned. This episode is intended for attorneys.Produced by David Stripling, Administrative Office of the Courts
3/8/24 • 12:17
This episode will highlight indigent representation and review how several states meet their constitutional obligations to provide attorneys for indigent, or poor, defendants. The host for this episode is Appointed Counsel's own Joe Byrd, who is the lead attorney managing Tennessee’s indigent representation fund. He is joined by Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter of Kentucky, Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill of Maine and Chief Justice Marla Luckert of Kansas. This episode was recorded at the Conferences of Chief Justices in Nashville.
3/1/24 • 45:04
From the time he was four years old, John McClarty desired of becoming a lawyer. Even in a time when the civil rights movement was evolving and significant Supreme Court decisions were changing the world of education in which he was determined to practice law. In this episode, host Nick Morgan sits down with Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge John McClarty to discuss his autobiography, The Dreamer: John W. McClarty, Judge. Their conversation is filled with stories from Chattanooga in the 1950’s to a lifetime spanning two careers, as a lawyer and an appellate judge. This episode is for all audiences.
2/23/24 • 38:38
At the end of the judicial process, a judge is tasked with sentencing the convicted person to a penalty or sanction. The process of sentencing can be complex and have many layers that a judge must work through and research before making a decision on final punishment. In this episode, Judge Steve Sword of the sixth judicial district, Judge Jim Goodwin of the second judicial district and Judge Zack Walden of the eighth judicial district in Tennessee. Barbara Peck is the host and this episode is intended for all audiences.
2/12/24 • 40:36
What is a contemporaneous time record and why is it important? According to Rule 13 6(a)(6), attorneys are held to a high degree of care in the keeping of time records supporting claims. In this episode, host Joe Byrd answers questions about the importance of timely recording as appointed counsel in Tennessee. This podcast is primarily for attorneys.Produced by David Stripling, Administrative Office of the Courts
2/9/24 • 05:05
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts receives between 80,000 and 100,000 compensation claims per year from 95 counties across the state of Tennessee. In Appointed Counsel's premiere episode, host Joe Byrd sets out to explain the most efficient way to be paid, scenarios that cause delay and walks listeners through the Indigent Services review process. Produced by David Stripling, Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts
1/10/24 • 04:20
In this episode, host Dave Stripling introduces a new instructional series for attorneys called Appointed Counsel, Dave sits down with its host Joe Byrd, Lead Attorney for the Indigent Services Team. If someone cannot afford an attorney in the U.S. they still have a right to one, and thus our American system and our Constitution ensure an attorney is appointed to them. Here, Joe answers questions about how counsel is appointed in Tennessee, how the appointed attorneys get paid, how someone is determined as "indigent," Rules 13 and 42, and what appointed attorneys will learn from his new instructional series, Appointed Counsel. This episode is intended for all audiences.
1/4/24 • 11:13
Prisons are filled with non-violent offenders who normally spend most of their lives incarcerated and have high rates of recidivism, often due to addiction. Recovery courts are opportunities for qualified inmates to overcome adversity through rehabilitative alternatives to prison. Circuit Court Judge Tammy Herrington of the 5th Judicial District, Criminal Court Judge Jim Goodwin of the 2nd Judicial District, Circuit Court Judge Beth Boniface of the 3rd Judicial District and Circuit Court Judge Mike Pemberton of the 9th Judicial District sit down to discuss these programs offered in Tennessee.This podcast is for all audiences and Barbara Peck is your host.
12/8/23 • 44:24
In this episode, Court of Appeals Judge Frank Clement Jr., Chancellor Anne Martin of Davidson County Chancery Court, Part II, Chief Deputy Clerk Lisa Marsh and Ian Dinkins remember Judge Richard Dinkins for his integrity, fairness, and humbleness while becoming a luminary in the law community.
10/20/23 • 14:10
Jury duty is one way citizens can participate in the judicial process and it's vitally important for a number of reasons. Here to explain why you should actively take part in your jury summons are Judge Lee Davies of Williamson County, Judge Stacy Street of Carter County, Judge Valerie Smith of Memphis, and Judge Wyatt Burk of Bedford County. This is a podcast for all audiences, and Barbara Peck is your host.
10/16/23 • 35:53
In this episode we take you to the investiture ceremony of Justice Dwight E. Tarwater to the Tennessee Supreme Court at the Tennessee Theater in Knoxville on September 5, 2023.
9/8/23 • 80:35
