The investiture and swearing-in ceremony for incoming Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page has been postponed until the fall. Page was elected to the position last week by his colleagues on the high court. He was set to be sworn in by Justice Connie Clark at a small ceremony tomorrow, the same day his term as chief justice begins, but will instead take the oath privately. Page is the first chief justice from rural West Tennessee in 27 years. Former Chief Justice Lyle Reid of Brownsville served in the role from 1990 until 1994. Page succeeds Justice Jeff Bivins, who has served in that role since 2016. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more.

A woman being held at Silverdale Jail, a facility owned by Hamilton County and run through a private third party, gave birth to a child at a local hospital shortly before passing away from apparent COVID-19 complications, the Chattanoogan reports. The Chattanooga Police Department says Morghan Jean Elmore was arrested on Aug. 13 and transported to a local hospital on Aug. 21. Her passing is considered an in-custody death and the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office has requested the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division conduct an investigation.

While the overall number of juvenile court cases transferred to adult court in Shelby County and Memphis has decreased, new data shows that virtually all of the juveniles transferred are Black, the Daily Memphian reports. The data, released by the juvenile court, shows that 97.8% of all juvenile transfers in 2019 and 2020 were Black. That trend has continued into 2021, with 22 of 24 transfers being Black. In 2020 and so far in 2021, the overall number of transfers dropped, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but reform advocates say the number is still too high and more should be done to avoid transferring a child to adult court. Only 10 juveniles in Nashville and Davidson County were transferred to adult court last year. Administrators say that low number is a result of taking a restorative justice approach that pairs kids with community services and resources instead of prosecution.      

Retired Anderson County judge Jennings Bryan Meredith died Sunday. He was 81. Jennings, a U.S. Air Force veteran, earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He returned to Anderson County where he practiced law for 12 years before becoming a judge in the General Sessions court. He served 22 years on the bench until his retirement. Meredith’s family will receive visitors on Thursday from 5 until 7 p.m. EDT at the First Baptist Church in Clinton, 225 N Main Street, Clinton, TN 37716. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to First Baptist Church Christian Service Center.

Three lawyers have recently been reinstated after being suspended for failure to complete required CLE hours. See the full list of those suspended and reinstated in 2021 for 2020 violations. The TBA also has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended Knox County lawyer Grace Ingrid Gardiner from the practice of law for three years, with four months of active suspension and the remainder on probation. A hearing panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) found five areas in which Gardiner failed to comply with rules of the Bankruptcy Court, violating Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1 (competence), 1.3 (diligence), 3.3 (candor toward the tribunal), 5.3 (responsibilities regarding nonlawyer assistants) and 8.4 (misconduct). Gardiner must pay $2,391.03 to the BPR to cover costs of the disciplinary hearing and comply with Supreme Court rules regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement.

Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Hamilton Gayden confirmed last week that he will not seek reelection in 2022. Gayden was appointed in 1974 by then-Gov. Winfield Dunn and has served 47 years on the bench — the longest judicial tenure in the state. "It's been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Davidson County,” Gayden said in a statement. “I will miss being on the bench but at 82 years old, it is time to hand the gavel over to a younger judge." 

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee today honored the late Chief Judge Pamela L. Reeves with a memorial garden and portrait unveiling. Judge Travis McDonough gave remarks, followed by the unveiling by Reeves’ family, Charles, Reedy and Amanda Swanson, of the portrait by Sergei Chernikov. The Rev. Dr. Jan B. Wade and Rev. Dr. Harold Middlebrook gave the invocation and benediction and Noelle Harb Brundidge sang “Amazing Grace.” Judge Susan K. Lee introduced the memorial garden, which was planted in the courtyard of the U.S. Federal Courthouse. Remarks were also made by Judge Thomas Varlan, former Gov. Bill Haslam and Judge Clifford Shirley. Reeves’ husband, Charles Swanson, gave a response. A reception followed in the courthouse atrium. Guests included former TBA Presidents Marcy Eason, Jackie Dixon and Jonathan Steen and TBA President Sherie Edwards, President Elect Tasha Blakney, Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson and Assistant Executive Director Barry Kolar. View pictures from the event on the TBA's website. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently announced it has appointed 26th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Roy B. Morgan Jr. as senior judge, effective Sept. 1. Morgan will retire from his current position on Aug. 31 and assume his new role for a term of four years. He was first elected to the circuit court bench in 1998, winning reelection campaigns in 2006 and 2014. Prior to this position, Morgan served as a general sessions court judge in Madison County for eight years. “At the end of this term, I will have served 32 years as a member of the judiciary,” Morgan said. “What an honor it has been to serve for so many years. The Senior Judge appointment by the Supreme Court gives me an opportunity to slow down a little while still being able to continue to serve the justice system and the citizens of our state.”

The TBA Estate Planning Section will host an interactive webinar regarding Tennessee Public Chapter No. 420, which introduced numerous changes to laws regarding trusts. Signed into effect by Gov. Bill Lee in May, the legislation makes pointed revisions to oversight, administration and judicial considerations, among other concerns for trustees. Join seasoned experts Michael Goode of Lewis Thomason and Rob Malin of First Horizon Bank, who will lead the discussion and provide the information you need to stay on top of these changes. This free event is open to everyone and will take place virtually via Zoom on Sept. 14 from noon until 1 p.m. CDT. Connection info will be sent the week of the program. One hour of CLE credit is available upon request for a fee of $45 for TBA members. Register here.