TBA’s Group Health Insurance, provided by BlueCross BlueShield, offers guaranteed issue coverage, with no health questions and no pre-existing condition exclusions. The Cookeville law firm Byars Law made the switch. Here is what attorney Gordon Byars says about the program: “TBA’s health insurance allows our firm to offer competitive insurance benefits to our employees. If we did not have this resource, we could not afford to offer a similar plan through the normal marketplace. The price is competitive, and the coverage is amazing. Having this benefit to offer has allowed us to recruit better quality employees as we expand our practice." Find out more or get your quote now.

Judge Kimberly Lund was recently appointed to the 19th Judicial District Chancery Court which serves Robertson and Montgomery counties. In this new role, she will work in the county where she lives, which she has not done previously in her legal career. "I’m excited to work in the county where I live. I haven’t had that experience, so I’m looking forward to serving those folks." Prior to the appointment, Lund served as an assistant district attorney for the 19th Judicial District. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The 2024 TBA Topgolf Estate Planning Tee-off will take place next Thursday in Nashville. This annual favorite offers three general CLE credits followed by two hours of Topgolf gameplay. The event also provides a perfect team-building exercise for your group or firm. Topics for the tee-off include the Corporate Transparency Act, trust modification, estate taxes and much more. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Topgolf bays are covered and climate controlled for your comfort. Space is limited, so register now before it’s too late!

Carter County lawyer Jason Lee Holly was temporarily suspended from the practice of law after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding three misconduct complaints. Holly is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Nov. 27. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office and Shelby County Juvenile Court remain locked in a dispute over who is responsible for operating the Youth Justice and Education Center. Earlier this month, the court was scheduled to resume in-person hearings at its downtown location but days before the switch, an attorney for the sheriff's office said the office would not transport youth from the detention center to the hearings. According to the Daily Memphian, the letter comes after months of disputes between the two entities about which one should operate the center. Both maintain the other is legally obligated to manage the facility. The paper also reports that Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks wants to find funding to solve the transportation issue without impacting either organization's budget, and would seek help from the U.S. Justice Department if necessary. She also expressed concerns about due process issues with the court, such as  inadequate access to attorneys in confidential settings and lack of probation conferences.

A U.S. appeals court has ruled it is illegal for states to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The decision came in a case challenging Mississippi's five-day grace period. While the court did not order immediate changes to the state's procedures, it did call into question mail-in voting practices used in about 20 states, Reuters reports. The ruling from the New Orleans-based U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals leaves it up to a lower court to decide what to do next, but emphasized it is important to preserve the status quo ahead of the Nov. 5 election. The decision applies only to states under the 5th Circuit's jurisdiction.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a press release last week that a state lawsuit led to the disclosure of documents revealing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) plans to release thousands of detained migrants, including criminals, into Tennessee. The documents, obtained through a suit after ICE failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests, showed that the agency coordinated with local officials and immigration rights groups to facilitate the release. Although the plan to move detainees to Tennessee was halted due to pushback from state officials, more than 7,000 migrants were released from Louisiana facilities, including individuals with criminal histories, according to the Chattanoogan.

Registered Tennesseans have until Thursday to vote early in the state and federal general election, ahead of the Nov. 5 election day. Voters need to bring valid photo identification to the polls when casting their ballot. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government, or the federal government is acceptable even if expired. A student ID or out-of-state driver’s license is not an accepted form of identification. For more information on how to vote early and how to find early voting locations, visit the Tennessee Secretary of State website.

Cleotha Abston, the man authorities charged with abducting and killing Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher while she was out on a run in 2022, has pleaded guilty. The plea comes after more than two years of criminal litigation and will allow Abston to avoid the death penalty, The Commercial Appeal reports. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Abston now will face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Fletcher's family reacted to the deal, saying, "We accept the outcome that [Eliza's] murderer has pled guilty to all charges, will wake up in prison for the rest of his life and cannot harm anyone else." In May, Abston was sentenced to 80 years in prison for the 2021 rape of Alicia Franklin.

A lawsuit against the Diocese of Nashville, alleging that the institution knew of an employee's predatory behavior but failed to act, will proceed after a judge denied a motion for summary judgment, the Nashville Banner reports. The lawsuit claims the diocese was aware as early as 2008 that a religious studies director posed a risk to young girls. Despite this knowledge, the suit continues, the employee was allowed to continue working, eventually abusing a 13-year-old student. The plaintiff says she did not become aware of the connection between the abuse and her subsequent emotional distress until 2019. Under Tennessee law, survivors of childhood sexual abuse have three years from the moment they discover they were abused to take civil action. In May, the diocese filed a motion for summary judgment arguing the statute of limitations had run. The court found that a jury could reasonably find that the statute had not run out.