The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed former Judge W. Mark Ward as a senior judge for a term of four years. He will take senior status on June 1. Ward previously served as a criminal court judge in the 30th Judicial District from 2004-2022. He is the author of “Tennessee Criminal Trial Practice,” which is used by judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys and is known as the authoritative treatise on criminal trial practice in Tennessee. In making the announcement, Chief Justice Roger A. Page said the new appointment will help reduce docket backlogs in the state and fill openings when conflicts of interest require a judge to recuse from a case. The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the appointment.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division is hosting a debt relief clinic on June 3 at 9 a.m. CDT. The clinic is fully virtual and will start with a presentation from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ruthie Hagan. Low-income debtors then will meet with volunteer attorneys in Zoom breakout rooms for counsel and advice on bankruptcy and other debt relief options. The clinic is hosted in partnership with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, West Tennessee Legal Services and Legal Aid of East Tennessee, among others. Attorneys interested in volunteering can sign up here. Contact YLD Public Service Chair Alix Rogers, 615-460-8250 with any questions. View a flyer.

Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Champion Montgomery Bell Academy competed this past weekend in the National High School Mock Trial Competition, placing third among 47 teams. The team defeated competitors from Florida, Alabama, Washington and Georgia. The event took place in Little Rock. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports on the competition. See a team photo from the event.

U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz, along with federal and local law enforcement partners, on Tuesday announced the prosecution of 26 individuals for crimes involving machine gun conversion devices known as “switches” or auto sears, which transform semiautomatic firearms into machine guns. Ritz also released a 60-second public service announcement about the danger posed by switches and the heavy penalties associated with possessing these devices. The moves come after the Memphis-based office made prosecution of crimes involving switches a top priority. Read more in a release from the U.S. attorney’s office

Gov. Bill Lee on Friday appointed Stacey Edmonson as the new district attorney general for the 21st Judicial District to fill a vacancy created by the death of Kim Helper. Edmonson will take office effective immediately. She has served the district for nearly two decades, most recently as deputy district attorney general, a role she has held for 12 years. Edmonson earned her law degree from Loyola University School of Law. The 21st Judicial District serves Williamson County. Read more from the governor’s office.

A Giles County judge last month overturned a murder conviction that relied on the testimony of disgraced former Tennessee medical examiner Charles Harlan. In the ruling, Judge David L. Allen wrote that new scientific evidence shows Wayne Burgess, convicted of murdering an infant in 1999, is innocent. Burgess is set to appear in court this week for his Tennessee Innocence Project attorneys to argue for immediate release, the Tennessean reports. Burgess’ conviction relied heavily on the testimony of Harlan, who was Nashville's first medical examiner and later the state’s chief medical examiner. Other medical professions who testified in the case concluded it was impossible that an alleged injury hours before the child’s death could have been the cause of death. Harlan was suspended without pay 1994. A year later, his contract with the state was terminated, and in 2005, his medical license was permanently stripped.

Rutherford County attorney Mary Bonita Tucker will be honored next month with the TBA's Fourth Annual Claudia Jack Award. Named for the late Claudia Jack, a long-time champion of the poor and underprivileged, and a public defender in Maury County, the award is presented to an outstanding  public defender or court-appointed private practitioner who serves the legal community and clients in an exemplary fashion. Tucker has served  as a court-appointed private practitioner for involuntary commitment proceedings in Rutherford County since the special court's inception in 2013. Since 2015, she also has defended clients in involuntary commitment proceedings involving the Veterans' Affairs Department. And she accepts appointments in probate court as an appointed conservator and guardian ad litem. One nominator wrote that Tucker “serves those who are often either in the worst state of their lives or who are struggling in ways that many will never have to experience or understand.” She also has been described as “trustworthy and respectful of her clients” and called an “inspiration.” The award be presented at the TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville on June 16 during the Lawyers’ Luncheon. Read the TBA's full press release about the award.

For more than a year, allegations that local police protected a well-known businessman accused in multiple sexual assaults — or incompetently bungled their investigation into allegations against him — have gripped Johnson City. Local advocates have taken to the streets demanding reform, a special U.S. attorney has filed a federal lawsuit, alleged victims have hired a California law firm, and city officials have secured an outside consultant to determine whether the police department’s actions “were inconsistent with acceptable practice of law enforcement.” Read more about the case from Tennessee Lookout.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s 2023 Administrative Law Forum on Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST. Thanks to Jonathan Fly, administrative judge for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, for producing this program. Watch for program topics and speakers coming soon.

Save up to 55% on office supplies and cleaning supplies through the TBA's ODP Business benefit program! The TBA has partnered with this top national office supply company to offer discounted pricing for law firms large and small. Discounts apply to ink/toner, copy and print services, and more.