ÿWPCê  # ÐUNÛ %) 0(/w@W4—«º 0J 0T  0^` 0h¾ 0r& 0|˜ 0† 0š 1u*U,Ÿ 0dËU,/U>[v~™vÓ ˜HP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPTÀäÌÀÀÌÀä0 (ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡ DDDDDDD‹â 3|x2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô  ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)< Œ 9p`(ModernP ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Monaco< Œ 9p`(&Times New RomanPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(d'`Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑMonacoÑÑ ÑÒ  BA Op Monaco ÒÒ  BA Op Monaco ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÓ&€X„d&ÓÑ#€Xd#ÑÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ X ÒÓ  ÓÑ\R AØ'\Ñ›à@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌÌÌÓ ` $°‡XœÈ’X ÓÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,€EX€REL.,à à)à àNO.€01A01„9606„CH„00259ÌJOHN€JAY€HOOKER,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellant,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌVS.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌBROOK€THOMPSON,€ET€AL.,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellees,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,€EX€REL.,à à)à àNO.€01A01„9606„CH„00280ÌLEWIS€LASKA,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellant,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌVS.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌBROOK€THOMPSON,€ET€AL.,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellees,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,€EX€REL.,à à)à àNO.€01S01„9606„CH„00114ÌLEWIS€LASKA,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellant,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌVS.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌBROOK€THOMPSON,€ET€AL.,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellees.à àà àà àà à)ÌÌÌà@ àòòO€R€D€E€RóóÌÌÌÓÓà àà àThese€cases€were€heard€before€the€œSpecial›€Supreme€Court€on€an€expedited€basis€onÏJuly€5,€1996.€€Due€to€the€fact€that€our€decision€in€these€consolidated€cases€will€affect€the€electionÏwhich€is€set€for€August€1,€1996,€the€Court€is€issuing€this€Order€today,€with€a€more€detailedÏOpinion€to€follow.ÌÌà àThe€Court€finds€as€follows:Ìà à1.€€The€statutory€scheme€for€judicial€selection€and€evaluation,€popularly€known€as€ð ðTheÏTennessee€Planðð,€T.C.A.€Section€17„4„101€òòet€seqóó.€does€not€violate€the€Tennessee€Constitution.€ÏòòState€v.€Dunnóó,€496€œS.W.›€œ2d›€480€(Tenn.€1973).Ìà à2.€€Under€the€provisions€of€T.C.A.€Section€17„4„114€(c),€the€Tennessee€Plan€is€notÏapplicable€unless€the€judicial€evaluation€commission€recommends€the€retention€of€a€judge.€€In€theÏforthcoming€judicial€election,€the€judicial€evaluation€commission€was€not€yet€fully€operational€and,Ïthrough€no€fault€of€Justice€White,€œit›€did€not€act€to€recommend€her€retention€as€a€Supreme€CourtÏJustice.€€€Accordingly,€the€provisions€of€the€Tennessee€Plan€are€not€applicable€to€the€election€to€beÏheld€on€August€1,€1996,€and€under€T.C.A.€Section€17„4„114(c),€a€political€party€may€nominate€aÏœcandidate›œ,›€and€independent€candidates€may€qualify€under€the€general€election€law€for€the€generalÏelection€which€is€the€regular€August€election.ÌÌà à3.€€In€accordance€with€the€provisions€of€T.C.A.€Section€2„5„101,€independent€and€primaryÏcandidates€should€have€qualified€for€the€upcoming€August€1,€œ1996,›€election€by€filing€allÏnominating€petitions€no€later€than€twelve€oððclock€noon,€May€16,€1996.€€Appellants€Laska€andÏHooker€attempted€to€obtain€such€petitions€from€Defendant€Appellee€Thompson,€but€wereÏunsuccessful€in€their€efforts€because€of€an€erroneous€interpretation€of€the€law€to€the€effect€thatÏJustice€Penny€White€was€running€unopposed€in€a€ð ðretention€electionðð€under€the€Tennessee€Plan.ÌÌà à4.€€Appellants€Hooker€and€Laska€have€made€good€faith€efforts€to€qualify€for€the€upcomingÏelection.€€Similarly,€Justice€White€has€acted€in€good€faith€in€declaring€her€candidacy€for€theÏSupreme€Court.€€€ÌÌà à5.€€At€all€times€relevant€to€this€Courtððs€decision,€Appellant€Hooker€lacked€the€qualifications€Ïnecessary€under€T.C.A.€Section€2„5„106€to€qualify€for€the€office€of€Supreme€Court€Justice€in€theÏAugust€1,€1996,€election,€because€œAppellant›€Hookerððs€law€license€was€suspended€œas›€a€result€of€hisÍfailure€to€meet€continuing€legal€education€requirements.ÌÌà à6.€€The€Defendants€have€raised€an€issue€as€to€the€residency€of€Appellant€Laska,€who€hasÏattempted€to€qualify€as€a€candidate€for€the€Western€Grand€Division€of€this€State.€€ConsiderableÏproof€regarding€whether€Mr.€Laska€is€a€bona€fide€resident€of€the€Western€Grand€Division€wasÏoffered€at€the€Chancery€Court€hearing€on€this€matter,€but€the€Chancellor€did€not€make€a€ruling€as€toÏMr.€Laskaððs€residency.ÌÌà àFor€the€foregoing€reasons,€it€is€ORDERED:ÌÌà à1.€€€Mr.€Hooker€may€not€be€placed€on€the€ballot€for€œtheAugust€1,€1996,›€election€because€heÏfailed€to€meet€the€requirement€that€a€candidate€be€an€attorney€licensed€to€practice€in€Tennessee.ÌÌà à2.€€Mr.€Laskaððs€case€€is€remanded€to€the€Chancery€Court€for€a€ruling€at€the€earliest€possibleÏhour€and€œdate›€as€to€the€bona€fide€residency€of€Mr.€Laska.€€If€the€Chancellor€finds€that€Mr.€Laska€isÏa€bona€fide€resident€of€œthe›€Western€Grand€Division,€then€the€writ€of€mandamus€requested€by€Mr.ÏLaska€shall€be€issued€by€the€Chancellor€forthwith.€€If€the€Chancellor€finds€that€Mr.€Laska€is€not€a€Ïresident€of€œthe›€Western€Grand€Division,€then€it€is€not€necessary€for€the€writ€of€mandamus€to€issue.ÌÌà à3.€€The€Court€finds€that,€as€an€equitable€matter,€€Justice€White€and€all€other€similarlyÏsituated€incumbent€appellate€judges€who€have€declared€their€candidacy€prior€to€May€16,€1996,Ïshould€œbe›€deemed€to€have€filed€a€qualifying€petition€for€election€to€the€offices€which€they€currentlyÏœhold.›Ìà àÌà à4.€€Because€there€is€no€proof€in€the€œrecord›€that€any€political€party€or€independent€candidateÌother€than€Justice€White,€Mr.€œLaska›€and€Mr.€Hooker€has€attempted€to€obtain€a€qualifying€petitionÏfor€the€office€of€Supreme€Court€Justice€for€the€August€1,€1996,€election€prior€to€the€May€16,€œ1996,›Ídeadline,€this€ruling€is€limited€to€the€candidacy€òòvel€nonóó€of€Mr.€Laska,€Mr.€Hooker,€Justice€œWhite,›Ïand€other€incumbent€appellate€judges€similarly€situated.ÌÌÌÌ€Çà àà àENTER€this€the€____€day€of€July,€1996.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà à_____________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àWILLIAM€H.€D.€FONES,€CHIEF€JUSTICEÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à_____________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àMARTHA€S.€L.€BLACK,€JUSTICEÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à_____________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àS.€MORRIS€HADDEN,€JUSTICEÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à_____________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àLIN€S.€HOWARD,€JUSTICEÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à_____________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àA.€C.€WHARTON,€JR.,€JUSTICE