We cannot be together in person this year for the Summer CLE Blast, but the TBA still has your back! Whether you are catching up on CLE or getting it done early, the TBA has multiple ways to get 15 hours of CLE and fast! On July 27-31, the TBA will be rebroadcasting or presenting three hours of popular CLE content each day. Catch The Ethics of Healthy Lawyering on Monday, Better Right Now on Tuesday, Business Law Forum – Live! Wednesday,  Ethics Roadshow Parts 1 and 2 on Thursday and Become a Persuasive Legal Writer by Mastering this Secret Lawyer Skill on Friday. Additionally, for a limited time only, the Summer Blast 1-Click Package is available on-demand and includes a brilliant mix of ethics, law practice management and wellness programs worth 15 dual hours.

During his weekly press conference, Gov. Bill Lee today said he will not issue a mask mandate statewide, the Daily Memphian reports. Lee contends the best way to get people to wear a mask is to have buy-in. “And for mask-wearing to be sustainable, you’ve got to have buy-in, and a mandate is simply a mandate. It doesn’t equate to mask-wearing,” he said at his weekly press conference. “And there’s a great deal of trust in local leadership, so that targeted approach, we believe, is the best way to actually get people to engage in mask-wearing more effectively than a statewide, mask-wearing, one-size-fits-all mandate.” While refusing to order residents to wear masks, the governor launched an ad campaign Thursday urging people to put on masks in public to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz says his office has opened an investigation into the alleged improper use of force by DOJ personnel against protestors in Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., The Hill reports. Horowitz said he is initiating the probe after receiving requests from members of Congress, members of the public and a referral from a U.S. attorney in Oregon. The investigation will look at how DOJ agents were trained and instructed to deal with demonstrators, whether they complied with rules of engagement and "applicable identification requirements," as well as the use of "lethal munitions, chemical agents, and other uses of force." The crackdown on demonstrators has come under scrutiny in recent days as protesters have reportedly been detained by unidentified officers.

Voter rights advocates on Wednesday filed a lawsuit demanding that top election officials in the state allow people to vote if they’ve had their voting rights restored after being convicted of a felony out of state, the Associated Press reports. The complaint, filed by the Campaign Legal Center, claims that since 1981, Tennessee has allowed residents with felony convictions in other states to register to vote as long as their voting rights had been restored in the state of their conviction. However, the complaint says the state “abruptly reversed course” and began requiring residents who had out-of-state felony convictions to meet additional rules. It alleges the Elections Division received a legal opinion from the attorney general’s office that stated residents must not only have their voting rights restored from the state of their conviction, but also must have fully paid all their corresponding legal and restitution fees. The attorney general’s office said it is reviewing the case.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett on Wednesday appeared before the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee to speak on the state’s preparations for upcoming elections and resistance to expanding absentee voting, the Tennessean reports. Hargett joined the committee by video, where he was praised by Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, but came under scrutiny later in the meeting by other Senators, who questioned why the state continued to appeal the absentee voting ruling and why it won’t allow absentee voters to turn in ballots using official drop boxes. Hargett maintained that fear of COVID-19 did not constitute an excuse for not voting in person and that requiring absentee voters to mail in their ballots instead of using a drop box was a “security measure.” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, called Hargett's response “pitiful” and said he was “astounded” by his testimony. "By the way, your state is No. 11 in the country in cases per 100,000 people," King continued, though not citing which data he was referencing. "I don't know why you'd need an excuse to vote."

Attorney Coty Wamp has been selected to serve as general counsel for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Chattanoogan reports. Wamp began her career as an assistant public defender with the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office and for the last three years has served as an assistant district attorney for the 10th Judicial District in Bradley County. HCSO general counsel is a new position created by Sheriff Jim Hammond, who says Wamp will be “responsible for providing advice and counsel to the sheriff and his command staff on matters pertaining to investigations, daily operation, policy matters and public media inquiries.” HCSO has been hit with several lawsuits in recent months and, in late June, faced accusations from District Attorney General Neal Pinkston of intentionally slowing down investigations into former deputy Daniel Wilkey.  

Robert William “Bob” Ratton Jr. of Memphis died unexpectedly on June 11. Ratton received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and an LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law. He was an accomplished tax and commercial attorney, practicing at several firms in Memphis and Washington, D.C., before becoming general counsel at Armstrong Relocation & Companies where he worked for two decades. A memorial for Ratton was held on June 16.

Retired Memphis attorney Murry J. Card died on July 11 at the age of 87. Murry was a Korean war veteran and a communicant of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. He also volunteered at the St. Vincent DePaul Food Mission. Murry was a "True Blue" Memphis Tigers fan and attended games for more than 50 years. He stated that he wanted to give recognition to Dr. Edmund Drummond, Buck Silver and Harley Davis who played special roles in his life. Funeral services were held St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on July 16 followed by burial at Forest Hill South cemetery.

The murder trial of Nashville police officer Andrew Delke has been reset for early next year, the Tennessean reports. Delke, a white officer, was charged with murder after shooting Daniel Hambrick, a Black man, three times in the back during a July 2018 foot chase. The trial was originally set for March, but after a scheduling conflict with an expert witness, Judge Monte Watkins reset the trial for summer. Precautions around the COVID-19 pandemic have delayed all jury trials and Delke’s trial has now been set for early 2021. Jury selection is set to take place on Feb. 15 with the trial beginning on Feb. 22. Delke is the first Nashville officer to ever be charged with murder after an on-duty shooting. 

The TBA’s 2020 Summer FastTrack program will be held as a virtual program with sessions specifically designed for practitioners in the Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville areas. The Knoxville program will take place on Aug. 21. Don’t miss the opportunity to join area judges and attorneys for four one-hour presentations and an optional lunchtime Zoom mixer. Attendees will hear from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee, Frank Johnstone of Wilson Worley PC in Kingsport and Samantha Parris with the Law Office of Samantha Parris in Knoxville. Registrants also will receive eight hours of prepaid credit to use on any of the TBA’s online or virtual CLE offerings and three hours of exclusive online videos designed specifically for general practitioners on topics such as working from home, law practice management and tips for growing your practice. Sign up now and get 15 hours of CLE credit through this one program!