Johnson City attorney Stephanie Sherwood has announced she is running for Washington County General Sessions Court Part III judge, Johnson City Press reports. Sherwood has served for 12 years as a special substitute judge in Johnson City Municipal Court. She has also practiced in all three divisions of General Sessions Court - criminal, civil, and juvenile - across eight counties in East Tennessee during her 13 years as an attorney. Sherwood will be on the Washington County Republican primary election ballot on May 3.

A residential builder in Nashville has pleaded guilty for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the Tennessean reports. Blake Austin Reed pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. He was caught on video and in photos wearing ski goggles and a respirator. Reed is among 22 others with ties to Tennessee who have been arrested on charges stemming from the riot. He faces up to a year in jail when he is sentenced April 15.

The debut of a new voting system in Shelby County is facing a possible delay after a chancery court ruling did not resolve the standoff between the Shelby County Commission and the Shelby County Election Commission over the new system, the Daily Memphian reports. The election commission filed suit last year, claiming the county commission illegally blocked its choice of voting machines by rejecting its contract with ES&S LLC. Special Chancellor Gadson W. Perry ruled in September that, by state law, the election commission can determine what kind of system to use, but the county commission decides whether to fund it. Perry said from the bench that he would grant permission for the election commission to appeal, but has not issued the formal order. With no appeals court order, there is uncertainty on whether a new system could be in place in time for three elections this year. If no new system is purchased, the county will continue to use its 20-year-old touchscreen machines.  

The National Conference of Bar Examiners yesterday announced there will be no remote offerings for the February bar exam, the ABA Journal reports. The organization says makeup dates for the exam will be offered in late March should a jurisdiction prohibit large gatherings due to COVID-19. “Due to firm deadlines set by ExamSoft, remote testing using NCBE exam materials is no longer an option for the February exam dates,” according to a press release. Nevada is the only state so far to offer its own remote exam in February. It will have seven essay questions and two performance tests, but no multiple choice questions.

Ex-Nashville police officer Andrew Delke waived the right to a parole hearing yesterday as part of a plea deal he was given for fatally shooting Daniel Hambrick in the back during a foot chase in 2018, the Associated Press reports. The agreement, reached after Delke pleaded guilty to manslaughter last July, stipulates that Delke cannot pursue parole. He received a three-year sentence, but attorneys on both sides say he will likely only serve a year and a half in jail with standard credits. Hambrick’s mother spoke at the meeting, calling the process unfair, secretive and racist. The Hambrick family maintains they were unaware of the plea deal until after it was done. Delke was about to face trial for a first-degree murder charge.  

The TBA's popular ethics CLE with Brian Faughnan of Lewis Thomason, normally known as the Ethics Roadshow, is back as the "Homeshow" and you can now purchase two days of virtual content in one on-demand package. Both days of the CLE feature a one-hour program that utilizes a game format to delve into 30 unique topics of ethical discussion. Purchase the program in just 1-click here.

The TBI is investigating Hamilton County District Attorney candidate Coty Wamp at the request of current DA Neal Pinkston, who is accusing his political rival of witness tampering. According to WRCB, Pinkston submitted the request on Jan. 6, alleging Wamp had participated in obstruction of justice after a shooting in Soddy Daisy two days prior. After a suspect was apprehended, the request says Wamp told police they had the wrong suspect in custody. It states the victims recanted their original story after interactions with Wamp. Wamp, who is legal counsel for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, told the Times Free Press she was “helping victims communicate” with the police department. She will face off against Pinkston in the Republican primary in May.

The Memphis office of Adams and Reese today announced it has appointed Ben Fox as partner in charge of the office, the Memphis Business Journal reports. Fox has been with the firm since 2008 and a partner since 2014. He specializes in commercial disputes, employment issues, personal injury and property damage claims. He has also done substantial work in legal ethics and sits on the Adams and Reese Ethics Committee. Fox will now head up the office comprised of eight Memphis-area attorneys.

Redistricting, public school funding and finalizing a new spending plan are all on the agenda of this year’s legislative session which kicked off today in Nashville, the Associated Press reports. Redrawing state legislative and congressional maps appears to be an early priority ahead of the 2022 election. According to the Nashville Post, the House special redistricting committee will meet Wednesday to discuss the issue, followed by a Senate committee meeting on Thursday. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, said yesterday that Republicans plan on dividing Nashville into multiple congressional district. Gov. Bill Lee is also hoping to push legislation that would address how K-12 education is funded in the state during this year’s session, a plan his administration unveiled last October. The rest of Lee’s wish list will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Tennessee attorney Travis Nathaniel Meeks today received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. After agreeing to represent two clients pursuing a detainer action, Meeks agreed to represent one of the two clients in a second matter in which the other client’s interests were materially adverse. He did not obtain an informed conflict waiver from either client and failed to maintain reasonable communication with one of the clients. A censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but does not affect their ability to practice law.