Tennessee Supreme Court
FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2018, file photo, defendant Billy Ray Turner, charged with killing NBA basketball star Lorenzen Wright, makes an appearance in Judge Lee V. Coffee's courtroom in Memphis, Tenn. Judge Coffee, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, set a 2022 trial date for Turner, charged with conspiring with the ex-wife of Wright to kill the former NBA player nearly 11 years ago in Memphis. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal via AP, File)
Trial in former NBA player's killing set for January 2022

By Adrian Sainz Jun. 02, 2021 12:14 PM EDT

Bill passes to stop executions of intellectually disabled

By Jonathan Mattise Apr. 26, 2021 07:52 PM EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Monday passed legislation designed to prevent death row inmates with an intellectual disability from being...

FILE — In this July 23, 2018, file photo, Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle presides over a court case in Nashville, Tenn. Almost every Tennessee House Republican says hearings should be held for the removal of Ellen Hobbs Lyle, who expanded absentee voting in the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sparking warnings from legal experts that lawmakers are seriously considering an unprecedented breach of judicial independence. (Larry McCormack/The Tennessean via AP, File)
Election office aided push to oust judge over voting ruling

By Jonathan Mattise And Kimberlee Kruesi Mar. 17, 2021 12:19 PM EDT

Tennessee inmate's execution paused again due to COVID-19

By Jonathan Mattise Jan. 05, 2021 06:42 PM EST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court on Tuesday hit pause again on a death row inmate's scheduled execution because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ...

Tennessee stops most in-person court hearings until Jan. 29

Dec. 23, 2020 04:07 AM EST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee is halting most in-person state and local court proceedings for a month while the state battles one of the worst recent COVID...

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction shows Byron Black. The Tennessee Supreme Court has granted a six-month delay in the execution to Byron Black, who was scheduled to die in October 2020. Black's attorneys had asked for a stay because of the difficulty of preparing an appeal. The execution was rescheduled for April 8, 2021. (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP, File)
Tennessee inmate’s execution put on hold due to COVID-19

By Travis Loller Dec. 03, 2020 05:25 PM EST

FILE - This file photo provided by Tennessee Department of Correction shows Tennessee death row inmate Pervis Payne. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has granted a death row inmate a temporary reprieve from execution. Lee issued a short statement Friday afternoon Nov. 6 2020 saying he is granting a reprieve to Pervis Payne until April 9 "due to the challenges and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP, File)
Tennessee governor gives death row inmate temporary reprieve

By Travis Loller Nov. 06, 2020 05:46 PM EST

A poll worker pushes a container of sanitized pens to a voter to be used in voting Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Brentwood, Tenn. The state is encouraging voters to wear masks and follow social distancing protocols at the polls. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Tennesseans with virus-susceptible roomies OKed to mail vote

By Jonathan Mattise Sep. 28, 2020 12:43 PM EDT

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, speaks to members of the Senate and House Elections Committees during a joint hearing at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Mississippi justices: No broad absentee voting amid COVID-19

By Emily Wagster Pettus Sep. 18, 2020 02:15 PM EDT

Randy Grove wears a mask as he votes Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Brentwood, Tenn. The state is encouraging voters to wear masks and follow social distancing protocols at the polls. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Judge orders Tennessee to mention virus on mail voting form

By Jonathan Mattise Aug. 26, 2020 02:07 PM EDT

Justices overturn Tennessee mail vote expansion for November

By Jonathan Mattise Aug. 05, 2020 07:20 PM EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the option for all eligible voters to vote by mail in November...

Tennessee mail ballot requests for November start Wednesday

Aug. 05, 2020 03:21 AM EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee voters can begin requesting absentee ballots for the November election Wednesday. In June, a judge...

Tennessee newly backs mail vote option for COVID risk group

By Jonathan Mattise Jul. 30, 2020 02:45 AM EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials are prepared to offer absentee ballots to voters who have health conditions or live with someone at risk for COVID...

Inmate sues Tennessee high court seeking execution delay

Jul. 10, 2020 12:47 PM EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee inmate is suing the state Supreme Court in hopes of delaying his Aug. 4 execution. In the federal...

Tennessee high court keeps mail voting expansion amid appeal

By Jonathan Mattise Jun. 24, 2020 06:44 PM EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that it will not block a judge’s order offering a by-mail voting option to all eligible...

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction shows Byron Black. The Tennessee Supreme Court has granted a six-month delay in the execution to Byron Black, who was scheduled to die in October 2020. Black's attorneys had asked for a stay because of the difficulty of preparing an appeal. The execution was rescheduled for April 8, 2021. (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP, File)
Tennessee Supreme Court delays 2nd execution due to pandemic

Jun. 12, 2020 07:40 PM EDT

Another Tennessee inmate seeks execution delay amid virus

May. 05, 2020 02:53 AM EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Another death row inmate in Tennessee is seeking a delay in his execution date this year due to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic....

This undated photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction shows Byron Black. Tennessee has set two new execution dates, just days after putting to death its seventh inmate in the past year-and-a-half. On Monday, the Tennessee Supreme Court ordered an Oct. 8 execution date for inmate Black and a Dec. 3 execution date for Pervis Payne. (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP)
2nd Tennessee inmate seeks execution delay amid coronavirus

By Jonathan Mattise Apr. 29, 2020 03:15 PM EDT

FILE - In this Oct. 13, 1999, file photo, Ricky Bell, then the warden at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tenn., gives a tour of the prison's execution chamber. An attorney said her team has lost “critical time” in representing a Tennessee death row inmate slated for execution in June, 2020, due to the new coronavirus and restrictions in place to curb its spread. The attorney for inmate Oscar Smith gave the update in a state Supreme Court filing recently to argue further that his execution should be put on hold due to the health pandemic. Smith's legal team asked for the stay of execution due to COVID-19 in March, 2020.(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
Tennessee delays June execution due to coronavirus

By Travis Loller Apr. 17, 2020 04:55 PM EDT