By Todd Hatton
Murray, KY – Tennessee judges will no longer be able to make political contributions under new rules adopted by the state Supreme Court. The state's highest court says the new rules will also force some judges to recuse themselves in the early stages of a case. Tennesseans will now have a right to a fast-track appeal to determine whether a judge should step aside from a case because of a possible conflict of interest. The new rule allows the appellate courts to order judges to step down from cases before they go to trial, sparing the expense of retrying the case all over again with a new judge. The new rules, which take effect July 1, follow the American Bar Association's model rules for judicial conduct.