Tennessee Court of Appeals


The Tennessee Court of Appeals 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, 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:
SectionJudgeJoinedAppointerLaw school
WesternKenny Armstrong2014 Duke
MiddleAndy D. Bennett2007 Vanderbilt
MiddleFrank G. Clement, Jr.2003 Nashville
EasternKristi M. Davis2020 Tennessee
EasternThomas R. Frierson, II2013 Tennessee
MiddleW. Neal McBrayer2013 William & Mary
EasternJohn Westley McClarty2009 Southern
WesternCarma Dennis McGee2019 Memphis
WesternValerie L. Smith2025 Memphis
WesternJ. Steven Stafford2008 Samford
EasternD. Michael Swiney1999 Tennessee
MiddleJeffrey Usman2022 Vanderbilt