State Sen. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, took the stand in her own defense yesterday as the final witness during the federal wire fraud and embezzlement case against her, the Daily Memphian reports. Federal authorities claim Robinson misspent about $600,000 in federal grant funding intended to help students at her business, The Healthcare Institute. “I have been dragged through the mud by the federal government when the federal government knew good and well that I did not do that,” Robinson testified. U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman last week dismissed 15 of the 20 charges against Robinson, saying the government had failed to prove its case on those counts. Prosecutors will begin cross-examination of Robinson on Wednesday.

Joseph P. Day this week announced that he is running for Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk. Day is currently the chief deputy of public relations and employee development at the clerk’s office, where he has served in various roles since 2001. A Nashville native, Day graduated from Tennessee State University and began work in the clerk’s office as a deputy clerk in the Traffic Warrant Division. Longtime Circuit Court Clerk Richard Rooker recently announced he will not seek another term. “I am extremely excited for Joseph to bring his vision, leadership skills and years of experience to this position,” Rooker said. Read the full press release.

A lawsuit has been filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville and a Murfreesboro parish for allegedly ignoring reports of child abuse by the former religious education director, the Tennessean reports. The abuse allegedly came at the hands of Michael Lewis at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. Lewis was indicted by a grand jury in June 2020 on 14 felony charges, including statutory rape and sexual battery. His trial is set for February 2022. The 40-page complaint filed in Davidson County on Monday by a Baltimore-based firm claims the diocese “concealed Lewis’s abuse, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment of plaintiff and others.”

Should U.S. Congress fail to pass a bill that extends government funding by midnight on Thursday, federal courts should be able to operate for another two weeks, the ABA Journal reports. A spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts confirmed that federal courts can keep operating until Oct. 15. Filing fees and other funding sources not dependent on congressional appropriation would allow the federal courts to remain afloat. During the last shutdown, which ended in January 2019, the federal court system estimated they could remain open for three weeks, but by delaying new hires and cutting travel, were able to operate longer than expected.

Investment banker and lawyer Forrest Shoaf has died. He was 71. Shoaf was a West Point graduate who went on to earn his law degree from Harvard Law School. He joined Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville and left in 1995 to serve as general counsel on Lamar Alexander’s presidential campaign. He ran for the 7th Congressional District seat in 2002, coming in fifth in the Republican primary won by Marsha Blackburn. He would later refer to his campaign as a “cure for narcissism.” Shoaf later moved on to J.C. Bradford & Co. as managing director for corporate finance. Read more from the Tennessee Journal.

Memphis attorney Henri Lynne Smith died Saturday. She was 65. Smith earned her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and for more than three decades was a successful civil lawyer. During a bid for city court judge in 1996, Smith's campaign slogan read, “Justice is blind, except for respect.” Visitation for Smith will be held tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. CDT at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Ave.

Harold “Bud” Rohen, former Criminal Court Clerk for Hamilton County, passed away on Saturday. He was 84. Rohen was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served as court clerk until his retirement. A graveside service will be on Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. EDT at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. There will be no visitation. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to Hospice of Chattanooga in memory of Rohen. Those interested can leave a message or condolences for the family here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court last week ordered the law license of Shelby County attorney William N. Griffin be transferred to disability inactive status. Griffin cannot practice law while on this status and may return to active status upon showing the high court that his disability has been removed.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia "Connie" Clark lay in state today in the capitol's Old Supreme Court room. A rotation of Tennessee State Troopers watched over her casket as it was visited by friends, family and members of the state’s legal community. Her casket was draped with the state flag and a skirt of crushed deep red velvet. Clark, the first active member of the judiciary to lie in state, died last week after a short battle with cancer. Her visitation will be held tomorrow from 2 until 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin and again from 10 to 11:30 a.m. CDT at the church Friday with the funeral to follow at noon. Read more from the Tennessean. 

In recognition of her lifetime of service, Gov. Bill Lee today issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 29 as a date to honor Clark. “Justice Cornelia A. Clark, an eighth-generation native of Williamson County, is one such notable Tennessean who will be forever remembered for her dedicated service as a judge and her role as one of our state's most influential legal minds,” the proclamation states. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Mindfulness in Law Society is offering legal professionals from across the country a chance to participate in live virtual guided meditations each week. The “Virtual Sits” are led by lawyers and are free of charge. Join the meditations every Monday at 2 p.m. CDT and Wednesday at 4 p.m. CDT. Find more information, teacher bios and Zoom links to join the events on the Mindfulness in Law Society’s website.