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Ceremony for Judge Debra Poplin Planned for April 27 in Knoxville

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 11, 2018
An investiture ceremony and reception for U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin will be held on April 27 at 2 p.m. in the Special Proceedings Courtroom at the Howard H. Baker Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 800 Market Street in Knoxville. RSVP by Friday.

Senate Committee Blocks Knoxville Transit Bill

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 11, 2018
A measure to create special assessment districts in Knox County to lay the groundwork for a light rail transit project failed in the Tennessee Senate Transportation and Safety Committee today, Knoxnews reports. Rep. Eddie Smith, R-Knoxville, and Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, sponsored the bill. Knoxville City Councilman Joe Hultquist said that the project will continue, and that he will bring the measure up again to lawmakers next year.

Tennessee to See Sunday Wine Sales

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 11, 2018
The General Assembly this week approved legislation to allow wine sales on Sundays and most holidays, and Gov. Bill Haslam said today he would approve the measure when it comes to his desk, The Tennessean reports. The bill would also allow liquor stores to open on Sundays. In the Senate, the bill passed 17-11, the bare minimum needed for approval.

Teacher Fired for Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancy Files Lawsuit

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 11, 2018
A Knox County private school teacher is suing the school that fired her when administrators discovered she was pregnant but unmarried, Knoxnews reports. The school’s attorney says that Concord Christian School had the right to fire Tabatha Hutson under a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that recognized a “ministerial exception” to employment discrimination laws. Hutson’s attorney claims that since Hutson, a Catholic, was hired at a Baptist school for her expertise in the curriculum and not because of a ministerial calling, the exception does not apply. 

Davidson County Lawyer Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 11, 2018
Davidson County lawyer Robert Elliott McGuire received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 10. The Nashville Post reports that McGuire, who in 2014 made an unsuccessful bid for Nashville District Attorney, was hired as a federal prosecutor just last week. In October of 2013, McGuire made statements in the rebuttal closing argument of a criminal prosecution that referenced material which had been excluded by the trial court in a pretrial order. Further, the statements were inappropriate, served no legitimate purpose, and resulted in reversal of the conviction by the Court of Criminal Appeals. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Don Cochran said the office was aware of the proceedings when it decided to hire McGuire.

Shelby County Attorney Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 11, 2018
Shelby County attorney Timothy Joel Williams on Tuesday received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility. Williams represented a client in a municipal court in Mississippi without receiving permission to appear pro hac vice and further represented the client in a Mississippi Circuit Court case without fully complying with the Mississippi pro hac vice rules. Williams associated a Mississippi attorney to assist in the case, but did not inform his client of the associated attorney’s participation in the case until after the case had been transferred to Circuit Court. Williams also claimed that his fee was non-refundable but he did not have a written fee agreement signed by his client.

Backpage Shut Down, Founders Charged with Facilitating Prostitution

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 10, 2018
Classified advertising website Backpage.com was shut down by the federal government last week and its co-founders have been charged with money laundering and knowingly facilitating prostitution through the site, the ABA Journal reports. The indictment said founder Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin retained “significant control” of the site and continued to receive millions of dollars even after “purportedly” selling their interest in 2015. Backpage shut down its “adult ads” section in 2017, but ads continued on the site in its “singles” section.

Bill Prohibiting Sanctuary Cities, Requiring ICE Collaboration Passes House Committee

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 10, 2018
A bill that would explicitly ban sanctuary cities in Tennessee and require local law enforcement to detain certain immigrants passed the House State Government Committee today, The Tennessean reports. Tennessee currently doesn’t have any sanctuary cities and the executive director of the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association says that the current detainer system is working, but proponents of the measure say it’s necessary to avoid issues seen in other states. The Senate version of the bill is set to be taken up tomorrow.

Hamilton County Commissioner Charged with Criminal Extortion

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 10, 2018

A criminal extortion charge has been filed against Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd, the Times Free Press reports. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation brought the case, but no other details are known at this time. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office confirmed he will turn himself in tomorrow morning. Boyd is currently running for re-election to his seat as the county's District 8 commissioner.

Claria Horn Boom Appointed District Judge for Eastern and Western Kentucky

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Apr 10, 2018

Claria Horn Boom, partner in the Lexington office of Frost Brown Todd (FBT), has been confirmed as a district judge on the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky. Nominated by President Donald Trump last year, Boom’s appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate today in a 96-1 vote. Boom graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1994 with Order of the Coif honors.

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