Tori Smith was sworn in as the new Hamilton County General Seesions Court judge yesterday in Chattanooga. Judge Gary Starnes administered the oath of office, Chattanoogan.com reports. Smith was selected to fill the seat last week by the county commission. The vacancy was created when Judge Alex McVeagh was elected to the Judicial District 11 Circuit Court. Smith previously was with the public defender's office. She will serve until the August 2026 general election. The winner of that election then will serve until 2030, which is when McVeagh’s term would have expired.

The Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office will receive $300,000 in federal funding for a program that supports victims of and witnesses to crimes, the Daily Memphian reports. The money will be used to provide support and resources to victims and witnesses, reduce the backlog of cases and of data processing such as forensic evidence, and update a data system that supports prosecutorial decision-making. District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said the funds will provide “tangible, concrete assistance to victims ... and witnesses.” U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, Democrat of Memphis, announced the award this week.

A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday alleges a Tennessee content creation company was the tool a team of Russian propagandists used to infiltrate U.S. audiences with Kremlin-backed messaging. The Tennessean reports that two employees of “Russia Today” were indicated for funneling nearly $10 million to an unnamed company to publish English-language videos on social media sites addressing issues such as immigration, inflation, and domestic and foreign policy. It appears the employees turned to the company after “Russia Today” was banned from operating in the U.S. following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The paper suggests that the company in question is Nashville’s Tenet Media.

Tami Sawyer took the oath of office last week as the new Shelby County General Sessions Court clerk. The oath was administered by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris in the Shelby County Board of Commissioners chambers where Sawyer served for four years. She took office officially on Sept. 1. Sawyer said her office would ensure that “victims of domestic violence receive their orders of protection immediately” and that new budgets will go toward “improving the morale” of the more than 200 employees. The Daily Memphian has more on the story. Sawyer upset incumbent Joe Brown in the March Democratic primary and then beat Republican nominee Lisa Arnold in the August county general election.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) agents executed a search warrant at the Millersville Police Department this week, News Channel 5 reports. Agents also executed a separate search warrant at the residence of assistant police chief Shawn Taylor. It is not known what agents were seeking but Taylor has been in the news for what critics say are bizarre conspiracy theories. He also has appeared in videos displaying a collection of electronic equipment. In addition, two local district attorneys have told the station that the TBI was asked to investigate the possible use of sensitive law enforcement data to “dig up dirt” on potential political enemies. In related news, the Tennessean reports that TBI blocked the police department’s access to a financial crime database last month. This past summer, a local district attorney asked the TBI to investigate possible perjury by a deputy following a child predator sting.

Dallas-based law firm Winstead has opened a Nashville office with five Tennessee attorneys. Commercial litigator Jeremy Oliver will be the office’s managing shareholder. Christopher Dunn, Emily Lamb and Keith Randall will join as shareholders. Dunn also will co-chair the real estate industry group. Dunn and Randall previously were with Epstein Becker & Green and Waller. Lamb previously was with Thompson Burton and Metro Nashville government. Will Stout will join as an associate. He previously was with Spencer Fane and Lewis Thomason. The office is located at the ONE 22 ONE building, 1221 Broadway, Ste. 2030, Nashville 37203 in the Gulch. It can be reached at 615-949-2350. Winstead CEO Jeff Matthews said the move is “just the beginning” of the firm’s strategic growth in Nashville. Read more in a release from the firm.

Save the date for the TBA’s 2024 Local Government Forum set for Nov. 1. The course will take place as a live virtual event starting at 9 a.m. and running until 1 p.m. CDT. This year’s forum will feature sessions on parliamentary procedures, local sustainability measures and the ethics of who government attorneys actually represent. Watch for more details coming soon.

Sumner County General Sessions Judge Kee Bryant-McCormick was sworn into office on Aug. 30 at a ceremony at the Sumner County Courthouse. She made history as the first Black person to be elected to that position in the county. The Gallatin News reports that the ceremony included remarks by Tennessee Administrative Offices of the Courts Director Michelle Long and Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown, and a history of African American female trailblazers in Sumner County and Middle Tennessee by Gallatin native A’Niya Boone. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell administered the oath of office to Bryant-McCormick.

TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. addressed attendees at the 2024 Equal Justice University conference in Murfreesboro last week. He thanked those working in the access to justice field and said the TBA is proud to be part of a collaborative effort to provide quality and accessible legal services across the state. He highlighted the TBA’s Grassroots Initiative and encouraged attendees to get involved in policy advocacy efforts. He also recapped the efforts of the Administrative Office of the Courts and Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby during the last legislative session, which led to an $8.6 million increase in indigent funding, while reiterating that securing additional funding remains a top priority for the association. Additionally, Lanquist called for an increased commitment to pro bono work, increased outreach to law students and new ways to use technology to assist indigent clients and self-represented litigants. Finally, he pledged the TBA would continue to work with policy makers to explore, implement and evaluate new approaches to serving those who cannot afford legal representation. Watch Lanquist’s remarks on the TBA’s Facebook feed and see photos from the day.

TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. addressed attendees at the 2024 Equal Justice University conference in Murfreesboro today. He thanked those working in the access to justice field and said the TBA is proud to be part of a collaborative effort to provide quality and accessible legal services across the state. He highlighted the TBA’s Grassroots Initiative and encouraged attendees to get involved in policy advocacy efforts. He also recapped the efforts of the Administrative Office of the Courts and Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby during the last legislative session, which led to an $8.6 million increase in indigent funding, while reiterating that securing additional funding remains a top priority for the association. Additionally, Lanquist called for an increased commitment to pro bono work, increased outreach to law students and new ways to use technology to assist indigent clients and self-represented litigants. Finally, he pledged the TBA would continue to work with policy makers to explore, implement and evaluate new approaches to serving those who cannot afford legal representation. Watch Lanquist’s remarks on the TBA’s Facebook feed and look for a wrap up of the event and the many awards presented at the conference in tomorrow's issue of TBA Today. See photos from the day.