The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted amendments to Rule 9, Section 10.6; Rule 21, Section 7.07; and Rule 43, Section 15. The court said it was making the changes to “clarify and bring consistency” to rules dealing with the effective date of suspensions for non-payment of annual registration fees, non-compliance with requirements for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account (IOLTA), and non-compliance with continuing legal education requirements. The amendments took effect immediately.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) prestigious Justice Frank F. Drowota III Award. The award will be presented at the Bench Bar Luncheon set for June 12 as part of the association’s Annual Convention in Franklin. TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. said the association is honoring Craft for his leadership in judicial education, ethics and professional well-being: “The TBA is pleased to honor Judge Chris Craft for 30 years of service to the Tennessee legal community. Throughout his career, Judge Craft has worked to improve the practice of law, foster excellence among state judges and help colleagues in need. We are grateful for his contributions. Additionally, I particularly enjoyed working with him when he previously served on the TBA Board of Governors when he was president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference.” Craft, who was nominated for the award by a group of fellow judges, has served on the criminal court since 1994. The Drowota Award is presented to a judge or judicial branch official who has demonstrated extraordinary devotion and dedication to the improvement of the law, the legal system and the administration of justice. Read more about Craft's selection in the TBA's press release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has found that a trial court could order a man who voluntarily dismissed his own lawsuit to pay his ex-wife’s attorney fees associated with that suit. The court said that under Tennessee law, “the challenger who forfeits, loses, and his opponent wins.” Even if the dismissal was voluntary, it held, the wife successfully kept her alimony and prevailed over efforts to end it. Justice Sarah K. Campbell wrote a separate opinion that concurred in the judgment and cautioned that the majority’s reasoning in the case should be limited to the family law context. She was joined in the concurring opinion by Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins. Read more about the case in a news release from the Administrative Office of the Courts or read the opinions.

The East Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women (ETLAW) will hold its annual Tennessee Supreme Court Luncheon on May 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. The event, which will take place at Jackson Terminal in Knoxville, will honor the state’s Supreme Court justices and recognize successful initiatives of the court. A keynote address will be given by Justice Mary L. Wagner, the court’s newest justice. Tickets are available online. For questions contact ETLAW President-elect Jennifer Franklyn at jfranklyn@realtytrustgroup.com.

Cody Smith, the former director of the 12th Judicial Drug Task Force, last week pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of meth with intent to sell in Marion County. He received two 10-year sentences, which will be probated after 11 months and 29 days, WCYB reports. This week, the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office released an investigative report finding that Smith misappropriated more than $7,000 from the task force between 2017 and 2021. He was fired in May 2021. Writing in the report, Comptroller Jason Mumpower said, “It is critical for law enforcement agencies to maintain clear, thorough documentation and strict oversight of both evidence and financial transactions. Written policies must also be in place for the collection, recording, storage and destruction of evidence.” The office says it sent the findings to the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office but the district attorney says the information “could not be presented to a grand jury before the statute of limitations had run."

The state criminal trial of three former Memphis police officers accused of killing Tyre Nichols got underway Monday in Memphis. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith Jr. are facing charges that include second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. Yesterday’s proceedings included not-guilty pleas from all three defendants, opening statements from the prosecution and defense, and testimony from Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells. The jury in the case has been brought to Memphis from Hamilton County. The Commercial Appeal provides a wrap up of the day.

Death row inmate Oscar Smith, who is scheduled to be executed on May 22 after a three-year hiatus in executions, has declined to choose the method of his execution. The Nashville Banner reports that Federal Public Defender Kelley Henry has confirmed that by default, Smith will die by lethal injection rather than electrocution. Smith previously was scheduled to be executed on April 21, 2022, but that was called off a little more than an hour beforehand when problems with the execution procedures were revealed. The state has now shifted from a three-drug cocktail to a one-drug protocol using barbiturate pentobarbital. Read more in a newsletter from the paper.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled unanimously on Monday that the legislature’s attempt to take over the Metro Nashville Airport Authority was unconstitutional because it singled out Nashville and thus violated the state constitution’s Home Rule Amendment. The decision upholds that portion of a ruling from an October 2023 special three-judge panel. According to The Tennessean, however, the appeals court reversed the lower court's ruling that five sections of the law violated equal protection guarantees and remanded the case back the special court “for further proceedings consistent” with the opinion. In 2023, the state legislature passed a law to vacate the mayor-appointed airport board and create a new system by which the governor and Republican legislative leaders would appoint a majority of board members. Metro Nashville sued to block the move at the time the bill was signed into law. The state had argued that the law did not single out Nashville and that because the airport authority is a separate legal entity, Metro Nashville did not have standing to sue.

The Chattanooga Bar Association will hold its annual Law Day event on May 14 at the Marriott from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. The event will feature presentation of the Liberty Bell Award and a keynote address by former TBA President Bill Haltom, who will talk about his book "The Other Fellow May Be Right: The Civility of Howard Baker." The book looks at the life and career of Tennessee’s former U.S. senator and how he used strategic civility to bring people together. According to Haltom, his example remains a role model of what can be accomplished, even in the most contentious arenas of American life, through civility and collegiality. RSVP by to 423-602-9430 or lhood@chattanoogabar.org before May 12, or purchase tickets online.

The American Bar Association (ABA) sued the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) last week claiming the department illegally terminated federal grants in retaliation for the organization’s public criticism of the administration. It is seeking a temporary restraining order to block the government from terminating the funds. According to Reuters, on April 10, DOJ terminated $3.2 million in grants used to train lawyers to represent victims of domestic and sexual violence. The ABA says it has received grant funding for that purpose since 1995. The suit also notes that the group has lost a total of $69 million in federal grants since the new administration took office, which has led it to lay off 300 employees. In separate reporting, Reuters says DOJ is terminating another $811 million in grant programs, including those for victim services and police training.