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TBA Criminal Justice
Section Newsletter September 2001 |
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Regrettably, our first newsletter for the 2001-2002 comes in the wake of what is unquestionably the worst attack on innocent citizens of our country ever perpetrated. The events in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania have shaken and saddened all of us. I know your thoughts and prayers are with the many thousands of victims of these tragedies, their families, and those who are working to help our country recover. I also know many of you have already pitched in and helped, and others may be looking for ways to do so. For your information, www.helping.org provides links to many reputable relief organizations such as the American Red Cross and other funds set up specifically to respond the needs created by these attacks. I encourage you to consider how best you can assist those injured and suffering as a result of the September 11 events.
As our country responds to these attacks, there have been and will be many changes proposed to ensure that our law enforcement community has the necessary tools to investigate terrorist activity and prevent it. As lawyers practicing in the criminal justice system and charged with preserving our country's constitutional liberties, it is incumbent upon us to evaluate these proposals in light of the tools that are already available and the respect for individual liberties that has distinguished our nation as the most free in the world. I encourage you to do so and engage those in our government with your opinions about them.
We welcome you to the TBA's Criminal Justice Section. We hope this will be the first of many newsletters we will send to the section members this year. This newsletter is intended to be a vehicle to communicate information to the members and provide helpful pieces on legal and practical issues. It is also intended to be a forum for all members to communicate with each other about subjects of common interest, including opinions on topical issues.
Please let me hear from you - whether it be about an opinion piece, an article about Criminal Justice news or a case law or legislative development. I welcome and need your input.
I appreciate the opportunity to serve and will look forward to hearing from you. This is your newsletter, please treat it as such.
David M. Eldridge
eldridge@rfdlaw.com
Ritchie Fels & Dillard PC
http://www.rfdlaw.com
606 W Main Ave Ste 300,
PO Box 1126,
Knoxville, TN 37901-1126
Phone: 865-637-0661
Fax: 865-524-4623
REPORT OF SECTION MEETING AT TBA BAR CENTER
On August 14, 2001 the Criminal Justice Section held its first meeting of the year, with Comer Donnell as Section Chair. The agenda of this meeting included the following items:
- The Election of this year's Executive Council*
- Approval of a Capital Case Symposium CLE to be held in Nashville in February, 2002
- Discussion about the Section producing an Online CLE
- Updating the Section's Web Page and including links to related sites
- Passage of a Motion in support of a recommendation to TBA to endorse increases in staffing for Assistant District Attorneys General and Assistant Public Defenders.
*Criminal Justice Section Executive Council for 2001-2002:
Comer Donnell, Lebanon - Chair
Ross Alderman, Nashville - Vice-Chair
Pat McNally, Nashville - Immediate Past Chair
Jim Milam, Nashville - Secretary/Treasurer
David M. Eldridge, Knoxville - Newsletter Editor
Claudia Jack, Columbia - Web Coordinator
Paula Voss, Knoxville
Mark Donahoe, Jackson
Michael Love, Clarksville
Roger Nell, Clarksville
James N. Ramsey, Clinton
Bill Ramsey, Nashville
John W. Galloway, Jr., Jamestown
Randy Nichols, Knoxville
Mark E. Stephens, Knoxville
Future Meeting Dates
The Criminal Justice Section's Executive Council will meet at noon at the Tennessee Bar Center in Nashville on:
November 14, 2001
February 14, 2002
May 14, 2002
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION'S WEB PAGE
For those of you who have never visited TBA's website, you can reach its home page at http://www.tba.org. Claudia Jack, a member of the Criminal Justice Section's Executive Council, is working to update the Criminal Justice Section's web page and include links to related and/or helpful sites, as a service to the members of this Section. (Please note: at this time, you may only access the Section's web page if you are also a member of TBALink - however, plans are underway to open the Section's web page to all members of the Criminal Justice Section). WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR WEB LINKS THAT MAY BE HELPFUL TO MEMBERS OF THIS SECTION. THE FOLLOWING ARE SUGGESTED LINKS, SO FAR:
- Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (TACDL)
- ABA's Criminal Justice Section
- Administrative Offices of the Courts for Tennessee (AOC)
- District Attorney's Conference
- Public Defender's Conference
- www.crimelynx.com - very helpful criminal justice research site
- State of Tennessee - Justice & Law Enforcement
PLEASE SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR WEB LINKS TO ADD TO THIS SECTION'S WEB PAGE, TO: Claudia Jack, District Public Defender, 22nd Judicial District, 809 S Main St Ste 200, PO Box 1735, Columbia, TN 38402. Phone: 931-380-2598 and Fax: 931-540-2451 or email her at: tdjack@djis.net
If you have questions or need information about TBA's Criminal Justice Section, you may contact: Lynn C. Pointer, Sections/Committees Coordinator, Tennessee Bar Association, 221 Fourth Avenue North. Suite 400, Nashville, TN 37219. Email: lpointer@tnbar.org
Phone: (615) 383-7421 and Fax: (615) 297-8058.
OR
Section Chair, Comer Donnell, Public Defender, 213 N Cumberland St, PO Box 888, Lebanon, TN 37087. Phone: 615-443-2771 and Fax: 615-433-2767 or email at: cldonnell@aol.com
