The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct has issued a public reprimand to Knoxville Municipal Judge John R. Rosson. The letter from the board states that Rosson breached the Code of Judicial Conduct when he held a campaign event in his courtroom on Oct. 11, 2023. The board also said that Rosson took election-related questions from the press during the event, and asked those who would see the press conference to vote for him. The board found that Rosson violated Rules of Judicial Conduct 1.2, 1.3 and 3.1(E). Rosson, who has no history of disciplinary issues, accepted the reprimand and took full responsibility for his actions according to the board.

The mother of a 17-year-old girl says her daughter was "body slammed" by two male counselors from Youth Villages after she refused to strip in front of them during an appointment at the Shelby County Health Department and later was beaten by at least 12 counselors at the facility. Youth Villages strongly denies the accusations, and in the case of the first incident, says Alegend Jones was accompanied by two women to the department. According to the Commercial Appeal, Jones went to the facility after her mother asked the Department of Children's Services (DCS) to take over as guardian to help with mental health struggles. Her death was described by the center as an "incident" and "medical emergency." The mother has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump. DCS says it also is investigating the death.

Mike Dunavant, former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee and former elected district attorney general of the 25th Judicial District, has been named deputy executive director of legal services and policy at the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC). In his new role, Dunavant will oversee four divisions: Legislative, Legal Services, Training and Child Support. He also will serve as the liaison between Tennessee’s 32 elected district attorneys general and the agencies and officials of the executive and legislative branches. Dunavant first joined the TNDAGC in 2006 when he was elected as the district attorney general for Lauderdale, Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy counties. He was reelected in 2014 and served in the position until his 2017 appointment as U.S. attorney. He left that office and joined the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury’s Division of Investigations in 2021. Read more in a press release from the group.

Overton County lawyer Joyce Annette “JJ” Oakley died Nov. 30. Services were held yesterday in Livingston. Oakley earned a bachelor of science in nursing in 1972 and a master of nursing in 1980. She taught for many years but then attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, earning a law degree in 1985. Oakley served as president of the Oakley First National Foundation, which provides scholarships to students in need. She also was a member of the Livingston Regional Hospital Board of Trustees and the Cumberland University Board of Trust.

If you tend to procrastinate, you may be asking, “Is it December already? And how do I get my CLE hours by the end of the month? Don’t panic! TBA has a number of CLE packages based on hours needed, including our most popular 15-hour package. We also have 12, 10, eight and six hour options. Access packages here or browse the full offerings of our Year End CLE event.

The TBA Health Law Section will host a free webinar on Dec. 11 on artificial intelligence (AI), and how health care-related businesses can build a viable AI Governance Program. AI applications have long been used to create health plans and technology services for decision support, back-office transactions, claims processing, supply management, surgical robotics and more. The growth in AI technology, however, has led to enforcement actions and lawsuits, making it important for companies to be aware of new standards. One hour of general CLE credit is available for a $50 processing fee.

TBA President Jim Barry announced during his installation at the June convention that the next installment of the TBA’s book club would be “Beale Street Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis.” Those who have not started reading the book should do so over the holidays! More information will be coming soon about a discussion session in January. Written by Preston Lauterbach, “Beale Street Dynasty” is set between Reconstruction and Prohibition and focuses on the rise and fall of Beale Street. It is told through the life of the south’s first Black millionaire, an ex-slave who built an underworld dynasty in the booming river town and created a space for Black culture to flourish. Get started reading or check out this book review that Knoxville lawyer Nick McCall wrote for the Tennessee Bar Journal in October 2016.

The Nashville Juvenile Justice Center is looking to add a “safe exchange” facility to protect custody exchanges and visitations, WKRN reports. Judge Shelia Calloway, who oversees the juvenile justice system, recently told the Metro Public Safety Committee that such a place does not currently exist and is needed to monitor these interactions, which can turn heated. “We have seen some cases where domestic violence issues, there are cases where at the exchange, the children are a part of the drama and it’s unfortunate,” she said. The new proposed facility would be known as the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment.

TBA Young Lawyers Division District Coordinator Caroline Rogers will be holding a TALS clinic in Johnson City on Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. EST. The event will take place at the Spark Plaza, 404 S. Roan St. Johnson City 37601. Volunteers are needed to assist. Please contact Rogers at rogers.caroline.j@gmail.com to help.

A group of Tennessee voters, including former Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new state law requiring polling places to inform voters that it is illegal to vote in a primary election without being a "bona fide" political party member. According to the Tennessean, the lawsuit alleges there is no legal mechanism to determine a voter's "bona fide" party credentials and the law could spark voter confusion. Tennessee does not require voters to register by political party, meaning voters choose at the polls what party primary ballot they prefer. The League of Women Voters of Tennessee also joined the suit.