The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation (TJCF) is working to fund a scholarship in honor of retired Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jerry L. Smith who died in February. Smith, who was appointed to the court in 1995, was elected to full terms in 1998 and 2006. Prior to joining the bench, he worked for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office as an assistant attorney general and deputy attorney general. Smith was an instructor at Nashville School of Law and an adjunct faculty member at Belmont University College of Law. Donations to the scholarship fund can be made to the TJCF, and sent to 629 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206-4211.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday ruled that when police officers pursue someone suspected of a misdemeanor, that pursuit does not automatically allow for warrantless entry into a home the suspect has entered, the Associated Press reports. “On many occasions, the officer will have good reason to enter — to prevent imminent harms of violence, destruction of evidence, or escape from the home,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the majority opinion. “But when the officer has time to get a warrant, he must do so — even though the misdemeanant fled.” Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito suggested the majority’s opinion gave “no guidance at all” to officers in the field and left too much for them to consider in the midst of a chase.

Part of Hohenwald’s West Main Street/Highway 412 will be renamed in memory of local attorney and former TBA president Landis Turner, the Lewis County Herald reports. Turner died in March 2020 following a brief illness. Turner was a longtime attorney in Hohenwald, practicing there from 1967 until his retirement in 2007. He also served as the city’s attorney for 40 years. In addition to the many positions he held with the TBA, Turner also served on boards for the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, Tennessee Justice Center, American Bar Association and many more. The renaming will be dedicated to Turner during a ceremony on Saturday at 4 p.m. CDT at the intersection of West Main Street and Darbytown Road.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday transferred the law license of Matilda Ann Batson to disability inactive status. Batson cannot practice law while on disability inactive status, but may be reinstated by the Supreme Court after showing her disability has been removed.

Rutherford County General Sessions Court Judge Ben Hall McFarlin Jr. has announced that he will retire this fall, the Daily News Journal reports. McFarlin, who also oversees the county's Veterans Treatment Court, will retire on Oct. 1 after 23 years on the bench. A Rutherford County Commission committee will consider applicants to fill McFarlin’s seat on Aug. 2 at 5:30 p.m. CDT. Those interested have until 4:30 p.m. that day to apply at the mayor’s office in the courthouse.

YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee will host a virtual webinar next week to explore the role of music in movements for racial justice. Stand Against Racism: The Power of Music will take place on June 30 from noon until 1 p.m. CDT and will address how artists and their music resist racism in the U.S. and globally, how music has historically been a tool of resisting racism and oppression and more. This virtual event is free and available to the public.

Five attorneys have applied to be considered for the circuit court vacancy in the 25th Judicial District, which covers Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, McNairy and Tipton counties. James Walter Freeland Jr., Rachel J. Jackson, Anthony Blake Neill, Julie K. Pillow and William A. Wooten have applied for the vacancy. The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will hold a public hearing with the candidates on July 22 at 9 a.m. CDT in the circuit courtroom of the Hardeman County Criminal Justice Complex, 505 S. Main St., Bolivar, TN. The commission will hold a vote immediately after the hearing and forward three names to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on each candidate.

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) says it will soon offer a service that relays the criminal case information and custody status of inmates electronically to the public, the Associated Press reports.  The new service, called Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE), will be used in conjunction with TDOC’s current victim notification system. That system provides a written notice of an offender’s location, transfer, sentence expiration, release and parole hearings. VINE gives crime victims more control over the types of notifications they’ll receive and how they are notified. Those wishing to receive updates can sign up at VINELink.com or call 888-868-4631 to speak with a live operator for support.  

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday unanimously ruled that the NCAA cannot restrict education-related benefits for college athletes, the Associated Press reports. The justices agreed that the NCAA’s limitations on the benefits that colleges can offer athletes who play Division I basketball and football violate antitrust laws. Schools may now further compete for talent by offering a variety of education-related benefits, like computers and paid internships. The ruling was narrow, however, in that it did not determine whether college sports stars can simply be paid salaries for the benefits their efforts bring to universities. Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Monday wrote about the “serious questions” that exist on whether the NCAA’s other restrictions on compensating athletes can stand. “Traditions alone cannot justify the NCAA’s decision to build a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated,” he wrote.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery yesterday joined attorneys general from 21 states in calling for Congress to maintain the Hyde Amendment in the 2022 budget. The amendment bars the use of federal funds for abortions. According to the AG’s website, the amendment has been budgeted for the last 45 years, but was excluded from the 2022 budget by the Biden Administration.