With the Tennessee Supreme Court’s recent decision to abolish a common law rule that required testimony of a criminal defendant’s accomplice to be supported by other evidence, the Tennessean looks at how this change could impact trials in the state. The piece quotes a number of criminal defense attorneys, as well as Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk, who says the change “has the potential to impact a large number of cases.” Read more reactions in the article.

After approving a fifth judicial commissioner position at its last meeting, the Hamilton County Commission yesterday named Rachel Ortwein to the post. Ortwein, who previously was an assistant district attorney, had been serving as an "on call" judicial commissioner. She was the only applicant for the position, Chattanoogan.com reports. She will join Chief Lori Miller, Ron Powers, Charles Paty and Blake Murchison. Judicial commissioners, also known as magistrates, set bonds and handle warrants.

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has named Adam Hiller the co-managing partner of its Nashville office. He joins Heather Gwinn in this shared leadership role. Hiller, a litigator with experience in federal and state courts, represents a broad array of clients in the construction sector, including architects, engineers, general contractors and construction managers, commercial property owners and developers, subcontractors and environmental consultants. He joined the Nashville office in September 2019 from the firm’s New York City office. Read more in a release from the firm.

The La Vergne city council has approved a settlement agreement with former officer Maegan Hall, who filed a federal lawsuit against the city accusing her supervisors of grooming her, WKRN reports. Hall filed suit in February 2023 against the city, two former sergeants and the former chief of police. She and four other officers were fired in January 2023 for allegedly having sex while on duty, sending nude photos of each other, not disclosing their relationships and lying during an internal investigation. Former Chief Chip Davis was fired a month later after a third-party investigation found he was aware of the sex scandal but failed to report it, and may even have encouraged the behavior. Hall will be compensated $500,000 for “civil rights claims based on personal physical injuries.”

The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council has announced its first round of community grant recipients with $81 million set to be distributed throughout the state, the Nashville Post reports. Treatment programs received the highest subset of money: $32.8 million. The next highest was recovery support at $19 million. The remaining categories were primary prevention at $12.2 million, around $8 million each for education and training and harm reduction, and $752,508 for research and evaluation. Out of 396 proposals, the council approved 116 grants.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington, D.C., has approved a $125 million settlement resolving claims that the federal judiciary overcharged users of its PACER electronic court records system for downloading documents. He also awarded plaintiffs' lawyers nearly $25 million in fees and expenses, Reuters reports. The judge granted final approval to a class action settlement that its backers say will reimburse the "vast majority" of PACER users in full for excessive fees charged over eight years. The U.S. government agreed to settle the case in October 2023.

For years, information about Tennessee sex offenders have been just a few keystrokes away. Now, Tennessee lawmakers are considering a move that would create a similar registry for domestic violence offenders, according to News Channel 5. The proposed registry, passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, would differ from the sex registry in several ways, including: requiring the victim's consent to place a name on the registry, omitting specific addresses, and tying the duration of the name on the registry to the number of offenses committed. In commenting on the bill, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it would cost around $500,000 to operate each year. The Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault is taking a neutral stance on the bill, saying that such registries can have unintended impacts on survivors. Track action on SB2277/HB2898 here.

If you missed the TBA's Law Tech Lunch & Learn Series, one of the more popular programs on artificial intelligence (AI), "Harnessing ChatGPT and Generative AI in Your Law Practice," will be rebroadcast at noon CDT on March 27. The two-hour session features Memphis lawyers Greg Siskind and Zack Glaser, who provide an introduction to AI and how it can be incorporated into the practice of law. The second session features Siskind and fellow Memphis lawyer Lucian Pera discussing ethical considerations around AI. For those not available to join in next week, a recording of the CLE also is available on demand at any time.

Attorneys from across the state gathered in Nashville this week for TBA's second annual "Day on the Hill." The day kicked off with remarks from Brandon Gibson, the state's chief operating officer, and House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland. The group was invited to observe a session of the House Civil Justice Committee where TBA President Jim Barry and Bedford County attorney Garrett Haynes gave statements to lawmakers on the urgent need for increased funding for indigent representation. Participants then met with more than 25 legislators to discuss the funding issue. The day concluded with TBA's annual Big Shrimp legislative reception, giving TBA leaders and members a chance to meet with legislators in a casual setting to continue conversations on topics important to the profession. See photos from the events.

President Joe Biden has nominated Kevin Ritz, current U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, for the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. If confirmed, he would replace Judge Julia Smith Gibbons, who announced her intention to take senior status on the court following confirmation of a successor. Ritz has served in his current role since 2022. From 2005 to 2022, he worked as an assistant U.S. attorney, serving at different times as criminal appellate chief and appellate chief. Before joining the U.S. attorney’s office, he was a law clerk for Gibbons. Ritz also is a past chair of the TBA’s Appellate Practice Section and past president of the Memphis/Mid-South Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2004. The Commercial Appeal has more on the nomination.