Testimony continued into a second day on what impact death row inmate Byron Black’s cardioverter-defibrillator will have once pentobarbital is administered to him during his Aug. 5 execution. On Wednesday, the state made its case. Two expert witnesses testified that the device will not cause additional pain. Both were in direct opposition to Monday’s testimony from witness who asserted the pentobarbital will cause the device to repeatedly shock Black. Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins has said a ruling can be expected by Friday. The Nashville Banner reports on the proceeding in its latest newsletter.

Metro Nashville Police have charged Phaitoon Sean Viryasiri for sending threatening letters to four judges, the Nashville Banner reports. Viryasiri, an inmate in the Davidson County Jail, was charged with a Class E felony for threatening Criminal Court Judge Khadija Babb with retaliation for decisions made when he was a defendant in her court. He also was charged with Class A misdemeanor for harassing threats in 17 letters sent to Babb, Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton, Criminal Court Judge Cynthia Chappell and General Sessions Court Judge Ana Escobar. Viryasiri has been in jail since last October for probation violations related to felony assault and burglary convictions. The police department previously announced it was investigating the threats.

The TBA’s Summer CLE Event continues next week with a one-hour webcast focused on the legal writing rules you should be breaking to become more persuasive. Make plans to join the CLE Performer Stuart Teicher on July 23 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT to learn more. Can’t make this time? The program also is available on demand. Looking for something else? Check out all our July offerings.

R. William “Bill” Ide III, former president of the American Bar Association (ABA), died July 8. Ide served as ABA president from 1993 to 1994, was a member of the ABA Board of Governors from 1987 to 1990, and spent 12 years in the ABA House of Delegates as an assembly delegate. Most recently, he served as vice chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy. As president, Ide focused on strengthening judicial integrity, expanding access to legal services and reforming legal ethics. Under his leadership, the ABA launched initiatives to protect judges from political pressure and interference and promoted transparent, fair legal processes to maintain public trust in the judiciary. Ide earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Nashville lawyer Jefferson Cooper Orr died May 21 at the age of 64. A graduate of Cumberland School of Law, Orr began his career at Manier, Herod, Hollabaugh & Smith until co-founding Smith Cashion & Orr in 1997. He practiced there for the remainder of his career. A memorial service was held in May at Christ Presbyterian Church. Donations in Orr’s memory may be made to Christ Presbyterian Academy, 2323-A Old Hickory Blvd., Nashville, TN 37215, or Fellowship Bible Church, 1210 Franklin Rd., Brentwood, TN 37027.

A story in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today incorrectly stated that U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, is stepping down from his congressional seat early to run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Rose’s current term, like all members of the U.S. House of Representatives, runs through the end of 2026. Tennesseans will elect a new governor in November that year with the winner taking office in January 2027.

Environmental groups, including the Southern Environmental Law Center and the NAACP, have filed an appeal challenging the Shelby County Health Department’s decision to grant Elon Musk’s company xAI an air emissions permit for 15 natural gas turbines in Southwest Memphis. According to the Daily Memphian, the groups argue the permit, granted July 2, violates federal law and fails to account for 35 unpermitted temporary turbines previously installed at xAI’s Colossus data center. The appeal, filed with the Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board, also contests the department’s interpretation of the federal Clean Air Act and raises concerns over the adequacy of air modeling, existing local smog conditions, and the precedent the permit sets for future turbine installations — including potential developments at xAI’s second Memphis site, Colossus 2.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 15 directed Connecticut lawyer Wesley Shelman Spears to respond within 30 days as to why discipline imposed in Connecticut should not also be imposed in Tennessee. If no response is received by the deadline, the court says it will impose identical discipline. The State of Connecticut Superior Court found that Spears sent a “series of inappropriate and offensive text messages” to his client. On April 3, it suspended him from the practice of law for one year.

Chancellor Doug Jenkins of the 3rd Judicial District — which includes Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties — recently was elected president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. He will serve a one-year term as president, ending in the summer of 2027. One of the main duties of the conference is organizing judicial meetings throughout the year, including the annual summer conference. Other responsibilities include committee work and legislative activity. Jenkins, a 1995 graduate of the Nashville School of Law, was appointed to the chancery court in 2013 by then-Gov. Bill Haslam. Prior to his appointment, Jenkins operated his own law practice in Rogersville and worked with the Law Offices of Terry, Terry & Stapleton in Morristown.

Davidson County lawyer Carrie Archie Russell was reinstated to the practice of law on July 14 after being on inactive status since March 15, 2012. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory and the Tennessee Supreme Court adopted the order on July 15. Earlier it had directed Russell to complete outstanding requirements with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE) prior to reinstatement.