The Sequatchie County Chancery and Probate courts recently received approval to implement e-filing. The local rules for the 12th Judicial District are now available for review here or on the Sequatchie County Clerk and Master’s webpage. The rules must be made public as part of a 30-day comment and notice period. For more information, contact Sequatchie County Clerk & Master Jared Smith at 423-949-3670.

The Memphis law firm of Dinkelspiel Rasmussen & Mink is seeking an associate attorney to serve in its litigation department. Applicants must have strong organizational skills, the ability to communicate effectively, attention to detail and strong legal writing skills. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: communicating with clients, preparing legal research and pleadings, reviewing discovery and appearing in court. No minimum experience is required. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Dee Dee Dunehew. See the full job description on TBA’s Job Link or see all openings.

Tennessee state House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and other legislators have been subpoenaed, News Channel 5 reports. The move comes two weeks after Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, resigned from the House and pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Smith said she participated in a scheme to defraud the state and members of the Republican caucus by setting up and running a direct mail consulting firm under a false identity. In related news, an ethics bill to address corruption among lawmakers is in the works. According to Tennessee Lookout, Rep. Sam Whitson, R-Franklin, is developing legislation that could tighten disclosure requirements, alter the makeup of the Registry of Election Finance, and change reporting requirements on campaign receipts.

Five days after being removed from the ballot by the Davidson County Election Commission, Luvell Glanton has filed suit to be placed back on it, Nashville Post reports. The suit, filed this morning, alleges that the partisan nature of the commission’s vote (all Republicans voted to exclude him) was responsible for “usurping the Democratic Party’s exclusive control over its primary ballot and denying Mr. Glanton procedural protections.” The suit further alleges that the commission structured the hearings incorrectly, placing the burden of proof on Glanton to show why he should not be removed rather than on Jones to prove Glanton lived outside the county after Aug. 4, 2021. Glanton is asking for a temporary injunction to prevent ballots being printed without his name on them. He is seeking the Democratic nomination for the Eighth Circuit Court seat Jones was elected to in 2014. Also running is former Legal Aid Society attorney Lynne Ingram.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has announced that Alise Housden has joined the firm as a housing attorney in the Murfreesboro office, the Daily News Journal reports. Housden will provide legal services for Rutherford County residents in eviction-related cases and assist clients in applying for the county’s COVID-19 Rental Relief Program. Housden previously worked with Long, Burnett & Johnson in Nashville. She earned her law degree from Charlotte School of Law in 2015.

Miller & Martin attorneys David Kesler and Merrill Nelson have been awarded the ABA Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services Award for representing a paralyzed Navy veteran in his appeal for additional disability benefits, Chattanoogan.com reports. Beginning in 2018, the attorneys dedicated more than 150 pro bono hours, exhausting all appeals and administrative remedies. They then filed a request with the Board for the Correction of Naval Records, which has the authority to correct a service member’s record. The board denied the request but said it would reconsider if additional evidence was found. With the help of a JAG captain, the team was able to identify evidence not previously considered. This time their persistence paid off and the client was awarded the full $100,000 to which he was entitled. 

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles has announced he is running for the state's 5th Congressional District seat, the Columbia Daily Herald reports. Ogles won the Republican nomination for a second term as mayor in a January county Republican caucus and says  he will keep his hat in that race, relinquishing office if he wins the 5th District seat. Ogles said he is running to help Maury County continue its prosperity and maintain its freedoms. The recently redrawn 5th District includes all of Maury, Lewis and Marshall counties, and parts of Davidson, Wilson and Williamson counties.

The ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division has been focusing on wellness issues in its newsletter for members. The “Legal Burnout Solution” series recently dealt with the interrelationship between self-esteem and well-being. The author reports that approximately 85% of the population suffers from low self-esteem, which is defined as what we think and feel about ourselves. The American Psychological Association says that low self-esteem can lead to emotional problems and substance use, while high self-esteem helps us develop coping skills to manage stress; strengthen emotional resilience; ward off depression and anxiety; and achieve better social relations, higher job satisfaction and improved well-being. The steps to developing a healthy self-esteem include focusing on the positive, showing ourselves compassion, practicing mindfulness, maintaining healthful habits, and building solid and open relationships. Read more about each of these steps. For those open to self-assessment, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale is a popular tool.

The cost of the “truth-in-sentencing” bill working its way through the Tennessee General Assembly depends on who you ask, according to the Commercial Appeal. In fact, the Tennessee General Assembly staff estimate the cost to be $40 million annually while the Tennessee Department of Corrections estimates it will cost the state $77 million annually 10 years after enacted. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill, which would require certain felons to serve 100% of their sentence. David Raybin with the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers spoke against the bill saying it would effectively double or triple some sentences. The bill is backed by Senate leadership and has strong support among Republicans but Gov. Bill Lee has not endorsed it. His criminal justice reforms passed last year were designed to reduce sentences.

Two new bills pending before the Tennessee General Assembly aim to protect domestic violence victims while their attacker is awaiting a court date, the Tennessean reports. One would require defendants accused of committing lethal acts of domestic violence to wear a GPS monitoring device as a condition of bail. The other would raise the bail amount in these cases, making it more costly to secure pretrial release. The bills are supported by Alex Youn, who has become a victim advocate after his sister, Marie Varsos, and mother, Debbie Sisco, were killed last April by Varsos’ husband, who was on bail from previously attacking Varsos. Youn testified before the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Both bills passed the House subcommittee and now are headed to the full Criminal Justice Committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to consider the bills this week.