TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Jul 9, 2025

Six weeks after being found guilty on 17 of 19 charges — including theft, money laundering, bribery and kickbacks — former Tennessee House Speaker Glenn Casada formally requested a new trial. His co-defendant and former chief of staff Cade Cothren has indicated he intends to do the same. The Tennessean reports that one reason Casada's attorneys say he is entitled to a new trial is that incriminating portions of the former lawmaker's FBI interview were played in court despite the government agreeing to redact them. In the motion for a new trial, attorneys wrote, “The bell could not be unrung — the jury heard the redacted statements, and there is no meaningful way to undo that error." U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson rejected a motion for mistrial after the interview was played in court. Casada and Cothren are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 12, but that may be delayed given these new filings.