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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

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Summit to feature ways to expand pro bono efforts

The Tennessee Supreme Court and its Access to Justice Commission will host a day-long summit on Jan. 21 to find ways to expand pro bono efforts throughout the state. During the Summit, the court will discuss how emerging technologies can be used to provide greater access to legal information and assistance. Featured speakers at the summit include Chief Justice Cornelia A. Clark and William T. (Bill) Robinson, president-elect of the American Bar Association.

Learn more from the Administrative Office of the Courts

TODAY'S OPINIONS
Click on the category of your choice to view summaries of today’s opinions from that court, or other body. A link at the end of each case summary will let you download the full opinion in PDF format. To search all opinions in the TBALink database or to obtain a text version of each opinion, go to our OpinionSearch page. If you have forgotten your password or need to obtain a password, you can look it up on TBALink at the TBA's Membership Central.

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You can obtain full-text versions of the opinions two ways. We recommend that you download the Opinions to your computer and then open them from there. 1) Click the URL at end of each Opinion paragraph below. This should give you the option to download the original document. If not, you may need to right-click on the URL to get the option to save the file to your computer. 2) Do a key word search in the Search Link area of TBALink. This option will allow you to view and save a plain-text version of the opinion.

SUPREME COURT DISCRETIONARY APPEALS
Grants & Denials List

Court: TSC

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TSC/2011/certlist_011811.pdf

ROBERT D. GRAY v. ANDY B. ROTEN, II and GARY B. ROTEN

Court: TCA

Attorneys:

A. Wilson Wages, Millington, Tennessee, for the appellant, Robert D. Gray.

Sam R. Marney, III and Matthew S. Russell, Germantown, Tennessee, for the appellees, Andy B. Roten, II and Gary B. Roten.

Judge: STAFFORD

This case involves an accident between a bicycle and a pick-up truck. Appellant was struck by Appellee's truck when Appellant failed to obey a stop sign and rode his bicycle into traffic. The trial court found that Appellant was sixty percent at fault for the accident, and, pursuant to a comparative fault analysis, entered judgment for Appellee. On appeal, we find that the trial court erred in applying a pedestrian statute to a bicyclist, but that this error was harmless in light of our finding that Appellant was negligent per se in failing to obey the stop sign, and/or in failing to yield to oncoming traffic. We conclude that the evidence preponderates in favor of the trial court's finding that Appellant was at least sixty percent at fault so as to foreclose any recovery under a comparative fault analysis. Affirmed for the reasons discussed herein.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2011/grayr_011811.pdf

IN RE: GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Jon A. York, Jackson, Tennessee, for the appellant, Dexter Dodd.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; David H. Findley, Senior Counsel; James G. (Jerry) Woodall, District Attorney General; and Alfred L. Earls, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: WILLIAMS

The appellant, Dexter Dodd, appeals the denial of his petition to remove the oath of secrecy with respect to two grand jury proceedings. Mr. Dodd is pursuing discrimination and tort claims against certain individuals who allegedly instigated these criminal proceedings against him, and he alleges that removal of the traditional grand jury oath of secrecy is necessary for him to effectively pursue these claims. After careful review, we conclude that the appellant's appeal is not properly before this court, and we dismiss the appeal.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/doddd_011811.pdf

DAVID A. FERRELL v. STATE OF TENNESSEE

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

David Arnold Ferrell, pro se, McMinnville, Tennessee.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Cameron L. Hyder, Assistant Attorney General; and Lisa Zavagiannis, District Attorney General; for the Appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: WEDEMEYER

The Defendant, David A. Ferrell, was convicted of failure to display a license, violation of the seatbelt law, and two violations of the vehicle registration law. He was ordered to serve thirty days in jail and pay a fifty-dollar fine. His convictions were affirmed on direct appeal, and the Tennessee Supreme Court denied his application for permission to appeal. The Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, claiming the trial court lacked jurisdiction over his case. The post-conviction court summarily dismissed the petition citing the petition's untimeliness. The Petitioner appeals, contending the post-conviction court erred when it dismissed his petition. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we reverse the post-conviction court's judgment.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/ferrelld_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. SHUN JELKS

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Tom W. Crider, District Public Defender, and J. Diane Blount, Assistant Public Defender, for the appellant, Shun Jelks.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Cameron L. Hyder, Assistant Attorney General; Garry G. Brown, District Attorney General; and Jason Scott, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: WILLIAMS

The defendant, Shun Jelks, was convicted of introduction of contraband in a penal facility, a Class C felony. He was sentenced to four years in confinement as a Range I, standard offender. On appeal, he argues that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction and that he was improperly sentenced. After careful review, we affirm the judgment from the trial court.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/jelkss_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. BRIAN WESLEY LACEY

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

David Christensen, Brentwood, Tennessee (on appeal); and Fikisha Swader and D. Chad Hindman, Nashville, Tennessee (at trial), for the appellant, Brian Wesley Lacey.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Brent C. Cherry, Assistant Attorney General; Victor S. Johnson III, District Attorney General; and Sharon Reddick, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: WITT

A Davidson County Criminal Court jury convicted the defendant, Brian Wesley Lacey, of 12 counts of the rape of a child, two counts of aggravated sexual battery, and one count of sexual battery. The trial court imposed sentences of 20 years for each rape of a child conviction, eight years for both aggravated sexual battery convictions, and one year for the conviction of sexual battery and ordered partially consecutive sentencing for an effective sentence of 60 years' incarceration to be served at 100 percent. In this appeal, the defendant contends that the trial court erred by admitting an audio recording into evidence without first conducting a hearing outside the presence of the jury as required by Tennessee Rule of Evidence 404(b) and by imposing consecutive sentences. We discern no error in the defendant's convictions but do find that the trial court erroneously ordered the defendant to serve 100 percent of his convictions of aggravated sexual battery in counts one and nine as a "child rapist." The case is remanded to the trial court for the entry of a corrected judgment for those counts. The remainder of the defendant's sentences are affirmed, and the correction of these judgments does not alter the total effective sentence.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/laceyb_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. FELICIA MAE LANGFORD

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

George Morton Googe, District Public Defender; Joe McClerran, Assistant Public Defender, Lebanon, Tennessee for the Defendant-Appellant, Felicia Mae Langford.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Brent C. Cherry, Assistant Attorney General; James G. (Jerry) Woodall, District Attorney General; and Justin Harris, Assistant District Attorney General, for the Appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: MCMULLEN

The Defendant-Appellant, Felicia Mae Langford, appeals the revocation of her probation. She pled guilty in the Circuit Court of Macon County to aggravated burglary, a Class C felony. Langford received a probationary sentence of six years. The trial court revoked her probation following an arrest for shoplifting. On appeal, Langford admits that she violated her probation. She claims, however, that the trial court erred by revoking her probation and imposing her original sentence of confinement. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/langfordf_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. ORVILLE LOSEY

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Robert T. Carter, Tullahoma, Tennessee, for the appellant, Orville Losey.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Brent C. Cherry, Senior Counsel; Mickey Layne, District Attorney General; and Wesley Hunter Southerland, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: TIPTON

The Defendant, Orville Losey, was found guilty by a Coffee County Circuit Court jury of three counts of aggravated assault, a Class C felony. See T.C.A. section 39-13-102 (2006) (amended 2009, 2010). He pled guilty to resisting arrest with a weapon, a Class A misdemeanor. See T.C.A. section 39-16-602 (2010). He was sentenced as a Range II, multiple offender to eight and one-half years' confinement for each of the aggravated assault convictions and to eleven months, twenty-nine days' confinement for the resisting arrest conviction, to be served concurrently. On appeal, he contends that (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions and (2) his sentences are excessive and not consistent with the purposes and principles of the Sentencing Reform Act. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/loseyo_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. JAMES G. MCCREERY, JR.

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

John H. Baker, III (on appeal), Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and William B. Bullock (at trial), Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for the Appellant, James G. McCreery, Jr.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Michael E. Moore, Solicitor General; Clarence E. Lutz, Assistant Attorney General; William Whitesell, District Attorney General; Trevor Lynch, Assistant District Attorney General, for the Appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: WEDEMEYER

A Rutherford County jury convicted the Defendant, James G. McCreery, Jr., of use of a weapon during a felony, felony reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, and two counts of reckless aggravated assault, and the trial court sentenced him to a three-year suspended sentence. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction for criminal trespass and that the trial court improperly instructed the jury as to self-defense. After a thorough review of the record and the applicable law, we affirm the trial court's judgments.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/mccreeryj_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. JAMES DEMARIO NABORS

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Gary F. Antrican (on appeal), District Public Defender, Covington, Tennessee, and Tracey A. Brewer-Walker (at trial), Ripley, Tennessee, and Jake Erwin (at trial), Memphis, Tennessee, for the appellant, James Demario Nabors.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Sophia S. Lee, Assistant Attorney General; D. Michael Dunavant, District Attorney General; and P.N. Oldham and James Walter Freeland, Jr., Assistant District Attorneys General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: MCLIN

While on probation, the defendant, James Demario Nabors, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of marijuana, one count of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to deliver .5 grams or more, and one count of introduction of contraband into a penal institution in case number 6274. Simultaneously, he pleaded guilty to one count of delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance less than .5 grams, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to deliver .5 grams or more, one count of possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony, and one count of felony possession of a firearm in case number 6390. In exchange for conceding his probation violation and his guilty pleas, the defendant received a total effective sentence of twenty-four years at 35% and, consecutively, five years at 100%. On appeal, the defendant argues that the trial court erred by denying any form of alternative sentencing and imposing confinement in cases 6274 and 6390. Following our review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the trial court's sentencing decision.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/naborsj_1011811.pdf

ADRIAN K. NELSON v. STATE OF TENNESSEE

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Jean M. Brock, McMinnville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Adrian K. Nelson.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Sophia S. Lee, Assistant Attorney General; and Lisa Zavogiannis, District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: GLENN

The petitioner, Adrian K. Nelson, appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, arguing that he was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel at trial and on appeal. Following our review, we affirm the post-conviction court's denial of the petition.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/nelsona_011811.pdf

RUSSELL NOLEN QUARLES v. STATE OF TENNESSEE

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Dale M. Quillen (at trial) and Ken Quillen (on appeal), Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Russell Nolen Quarles.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Lindsy Paduch Stempel, Assistant Attorney General; Kim R. Helper, District Attorney General; and Derek Smith, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: OGLE

The Petitioner, Russell Nolan Quarles, pled guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and received a sentence of eleven months and twenty-nine days. Subsequently, the Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, alleging that his trial counsel was ineffective and that his guilty plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered. The post- conviction court denied the petition, finding the Petitioner failed to prove his claims. On appeal, the Petitioner challenges the post-conviction court's ruling. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/quarlesr_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. LAWRENCE D. RALPH

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Gregory D. Smith, Contract Appellate Defender; Dan T. Bryant, District Public Defender; and Scott Grissom, Assistant Public Defender, for the appellant, Lawrence Ralph, Jr.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Lacy Wilber, Assistant Attorney General; Lisa Zavogiannis, District Attorney General; and Darrell Julian, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: THOMAS

The Defendant, Lawrence D. Ralph, was convicted of driving under the 1 influence (DUI), fourth offense; DUI per se, fourth offense; driving on a revoked driver's license, fifth offense; violation of the habitual traffic offender status; and two counts of evading arrest. The trial court merged the DUI per se conviction with the first count and merged the driving on a revoked license conviction with the habitual traffic offender conviction. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to four years each for the DUI, fourth offense conviction; the habitual traffic offender status conviction; and the felony evading arrest conviction, to be served consecutively for an effective 12-year sentence. In this appeal as of right, the Defendant contends (1) that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of DUI, fourth offense and (2) the trial court's sentence was excessive. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/ralphl_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. DENNIS R. SHAW

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

William A. Cameron, Cookeville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Dennis R. Shaw.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Cameron L. Hyder, Assistant Attorney General; Anthony J. Craighead, District Attorney General Pro Tempore; and Marty Savage, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, the State of Tennessee.

Judge: WOODALL

Following a jury trial in Putnam County, Defendant, Dennis Russell Shaw, was convicted of driving on a revoked license, second offense or subsequent offense, violation of the registration law, and violation of the financial responsibility law. He has appealed only the driving on revoked license conviction, arguing that his conviction was improperly enhanced beyond a first offense. After reviewing the briefs of the parties and the record, we affirm.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/shawd_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. BRODERICK JOSEPH SMITH
With Concurring Opinion

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Carol Dawn Deaner, District Public Defender; Jeffrey A. DeVasher, Assistant Public Defender (on appeal); and Joseph Michael Engle, Assistant Public Defender (at trial), attorneys for the appellant, Broderick Joseph Smith.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Lindsy Paduch Stempel, Assistant Attorney General; Victor S. Johnson, III, District Attorney General; and Amy Hunter Eisenbeck and Robert Homlar, Assistant District Attorneys General, attorneys for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: THOMAS

The Defendant, Broderick Joseph Smith, was convicted of two counts of carjacking, a Class B felony; three counts of attempted robbery, a Class D felony; one count of assault, a Class A misdemeanor; one count of aggravated robbery, a Class B felony; and one count of attempted carjacking, a Class C felony. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to 20 years on each of the carjacking convictions, eight years for each of the attempted robbery convictions, 11 months and 29 days for the assault conviction, 15 years for the aggravated robbery conviction, and ten years for the attempted carjacking conviction. The trial court ruled that the sentences for all but the assault conviction should run consecutively for an effective sentence of 89 years. The trial court also ruled that the sentence should run consecutively to the Defendant's sentence in federal court for two related armed bank robbery convictions. In this appeal as of right, the Defendant contends that (1) the trial court erred in denying his motion to dismiss on the ground that his right to a speedy trial had been violated; (2) that the trial court erred in denying his motion to sever the aggravated robbery count from the remainder of the indictment; (3) that the trial court erred in allowing the State to present evidence that the Defendant committed the two related armed bank robberies; and (4) that the trial court erred by imposing excessive sentences and by imposing consecutive sentences. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/smithb_011811.pdf

TIPTON concurring
http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/smithb_CON_011811.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. HUEDEL SPARKMAN

Court: TCCA

Attorneys:

Stephanie Barka (at trial) and William J. Harold (at trial and on appeal), Assistant District Public Defenders, for the appellant, Huedel Sparkman.

Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Rachel West Harmon, Assistant Attorney General; Charles Frank Crawford, Jr., District Attorney General; Weakley E. Barnard, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge: OGLE

A Marshall County Circuit Court jury convicted the appellant, Huedel Sparkman, of one count of possession of .5 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to sell and one count of possession of .5 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to deliver, class B felonies. At sentencing, the trial court merged the convictions and imposed a sentence of 25 years' incarceration to be served as a Range III, persistent offender, consecutively to any unserved sentence. In this appeal as of right, the appellant argues that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions and that the trial court imposed an excessive sentence. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2011/sparkmanh_011811.pdf

TODAY'S NEWS

Legal News
Tenn. Government
U.S. Supreme Court
Politics
Disciplinary Actions
TBA Member Services

Legal News

Judge will retire now that a Republican will fill spot

Blount County Circuit Court Judge W. Dale Young announced Sunday, after the swearing-in of Gov. Bill Haslam, that he is retiring. "I wanted to wait to be certain a Republican governor would appoint my successor, and now I want to just rest up and enjoy retirement," Young said. In selecting a replacement, a state judicial nominating committee will submit three names to the governor; Haslam can select from those three names or ask the committee to send more names. Applications must be submitted by noon on Feb. 11.

The News Sentinel reports on Young's announcement

Federal courthouse request inches along in process

The Metro Nashville Planning Commission's Feb. 24 agenda lists the U.S. Government's request that the downtown site of the proposed federal courthouse be given final approval to create one lot on the property. This is the next step in what has become a 10-year process.

The City Paper has more

Mendes is new Nashville Bar president

The Nashville Bar Association this past month installed its new officers: President Robert Mendes, President-elect John Kitch, First Vice President Barbara Perutelli, Second Vice President John Griffin, Treasurer Bob Pope, Secretary Alisa Peters and General Counsel Gareth Aden. New members of the board are Robert E. Boston, Dawn Deaner, Charles Grant, Michele Johnson, John Tarpley and Pat Moskal.

Memphis court a model for others in its second 100 years

As the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County begins its second century, it continues to expand and update programs for offenders, families and related agencies. In fact, the progress has been so significant, according to Linda O'Neal, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, that the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative is strongly considering adding Memphis and Shelby County as an initiative site, a designation that would place the court among the localities recognized for using innovative programs to deal with juvenile offenders.

The Commercial Appeal cites the changes and trends.

TACDL names Bone new executive director

M. Suanne Bone is the new executive director of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (TACDL). Prior to coming to TACDL, she served as legislative liaison at the Department of Tourism Development, and worked as a fundraising/finance assistant with a U.S. Senate campaign, as an affiliate real estate broker, and as clerk for Lowery, Lowery and Cherry PLLC and Lannom and Williams PLLC. She received her law degree from the Nashville School of Law. TACDL's Executive Committee and Board of Directors expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation to Rebecca Rhodes, who has served as TACDL's interim executive director since November 2010.

Tenn. Government

Gov. Haslam gets started

After Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam was sworn in on Saturday by Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Connie Clark, he told Tennesseans across the state he was ready to go to work making Tennessee a better place to live, work and raise a family.

WRCB has the transcript of his remarks

Order: Disclosure of outside income eliminated

Gov. Bill Haslam on Saturday signed an executive order that eliminates requirements for the governor and top aides to disclose how much they earn in outside income. The move wipes off the books the first executive order signed by Haslam's predecessor, Phil Bredesen, after he took office in 2003. That order required top executive branch officials to make annual reports about their total earnings. "It's important people understand where your source of income is and where your investments are," Haslam said. "The amounts I don't think are important." In an editorial, the Commercial Appeal writes that "for sake of Tennessee citizens, we hope this isn't a harbinger of more serious infringements on openness and transparency in government."

The News Sentinel reports

New head of environment, conservation is Martineau

Attorney Robert Martineau has been named head of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation by Gov. Bill Haslam. Martineau, 52, is a lawyer with the Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis, where he specializes in environmental and regulatory law. He previously worked in the office of the general counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is a member of the board of directors of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands.

BusinessClarksville.com has more

U.S. Supreme Court

Judicial humor research: Scalia is a regular wise guy

New research examines the sense of humor belonging to Supreme Court justices. According to legal consultant Dr. Ryan Malphurs' research, Justice Scalia cracked the most jokes. Malphurs' paper, "People Did Sometimes Stick Things in My Underwear: The Function of Laughter at the U.S. Supreme Court," appears in the latest issue of Communication Law Review.

Listen to more, including the justices' jokes, on NPR

Politics

Election of attorney general under discussion again

Columnist Tom Humphrey suggests that the recent push to elect the state's attorney general may have as much to do with current Attorney General Bob Cooper managing "to find himself as a GOP target by declining to jump into lawsuits launched by his Republican counterparts in other states against the new federal health care law." The column outlines the procedures that would need to happen to make the change. On Saturday, the Chattanoogan reports, State Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mt. Juliet, filed a resolution calling for an elected state attorney general.

Disciplinary Actions

Nashville lawyer suspended

On Jan. 12, Nashville lawyer Terry R. Clayton was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court for seven months pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 4.2. The actual suspension will be one month with six months to be served on probation.

Download the BPR news release

Wilson County lawyer suspended

On Jan. 12, Mt. Juliet lawyer Mark Wesley Henderson was suspended from the practice of law for six months by the Tennessee Supreme Court and ordered to pay restitution to two former clients. His actions violate the following Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.2(a), Scope of Representation; 1.4, Communication; 1.5, Fees; 1.16, Declining and Terminating Representation; and 8.4, Misconduct.

Download the BPR news release

TBA Member Services

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About this publication: Today's News is a compilation of digests of news reports of interest to Tennessee lawyers compiled by TBA staff, links to digested press releases, and occasional stories about the TBA and other activities written by the TBA staff or members. Statements or opinions herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Tennessee Bar Association, its officers, board or staff.