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Ex-MPD Officer Found Not Guilty of Rape

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 29, 2018
Former Memphis Police Department officer Bridges Randle was found not guilty of rape by a Shelby County jury today, The Commercial Appeal reports. The alleged assault occurred in June 2000, when the victim was 21 years old. Her rape kit went untested until 2013, and a year later, Randle was found and arrested in Atlanta, where he had legally changed his name to Ajamu Abiola Banjoko. Randle’s attorney, who argued that the sex between the two was consensual, moved for a mistrial after the victim cried for most of the morning while seated in the courtroom. The jury reached its verdict after two hours of deliberation.

Former Drummer Gives Prospective Juror CPR at His Own Medical Malpractice Trial

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 29, 2018
On the first day of a medical malpractice suit brought against rock drummer-turned OB/GYN Dr. James Lilja, a prospective juror went into cardiac arrest and was saved by the defendant of the case, Stereogum reports. Lilja, who served as drummer for the Offspring from 1984 to 1987 before becoming a doctor, administered CPR and applied a defibrillator on the juror, keeping him alive until paramedics arrived. Because most of the prospective jury witnessed the event, the judge declared a mistrial, saying the jury would be biased in Lilja’s favor.

Court Says Lawmakers Have No Voice in State’s First Same-sex Divorce Case

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 29, 2018
In an opinion authored by Tennessee Court of Appeals Chief Judge D. Michael Swiney, the state’s appellate court turned aside a push from 71 state lawmakers to have a legal say in the state’s first same-sex divorce case, Knoxnews reports. The case has since been settled, but Tennessee’s legislators still wanted to weigh in. “While the (legislators) apparently wish to force the actual parties to the suit, Sabrina and Erica, to continue their dispute in court, those parties have chosen not to do so,” Swiney wrote. The court also ordered the legislators to pay court costs for the appeal.

Judge Camille McMullen Offers Tips on Brief Writing

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 29, 2018
In this one-hour CLE, Judge Camille McMullen offers effective oral argument practices and tips for brief writing. Learn about common mistakes and review examples.

Jury Awards Smoker’s Family $13.5 Million in Case Against Cigarette Company

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 28, 2018
A Florida state jury awarded $13.5 million the family of a man who died after smoking cigarettes for decades, Law360 reports. $5 million in compensatory damages and $8.5 million in punitive damages were awarded to the family of Arthur Brown, who was found 35 percent at fault for his death from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2003. Brown smoked Viceroy cigarettes, a subsidiary of R.J. Reynolds, since 1955, a period in which tobacco companies were still colluding to hide evidence pertaining to the health risks of cigarettes. The Brown family was represented by Nashville attorneys Kathryn Barnett and Jason Gichner, and Jacksonville attorneys Katy Massa and Tony Luciano, all of Morgan and Morgan.

ABA Launches Website Dedicated to Capital Clemency

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 28, 2018
The American Bar Association’s Capital Clemency Resource Initiative (CCRI) launched a website this week designed to improve the public’s understanding of clemency in death penalty cases and provide resources for lawyers and other stakeholders. The ABA found that, despite clemency’s historic role as the criminal justice system’s “fail safe” to prevent unjust sentences from being carried out, access to accurate information on clemency in death penalty cases has long been inadequate. Three ABA entities joined together in 2015 to form the CCRI. "While our Association does not take a position on the death penalty generally, we do believe that every stage of a capital case — from arrest to execution — should be carried out with the utmost care," said ABA President Hilarie Bass.

Byrd Refuses to Resign Despite Allegations

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 28, 2018
Although House Speaker Beth Harwell has called on him to resign, Rep. David Byrd announced he has no plans to leave the legislature amid allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with teenage girls 30 years ago, Humphrey on the Hill reports. In his statement to the press, Byrd said that “conduct over 30 years ago is difficult, at best to recall” and said he was disappointed in Harwell for calling for his resignation. WSMV reports that three girls who played on a high school basketball team Byrd coached  have come forward, with one producing a recorded phone call with Byrd in which he apologizes for previous wrongdoings. Two of the girls were 15 and one was 16 at the time of the alleged misconduct.

House Committee Advances Medical Cannabis Bill

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 28, 2018
With minor amendments, the bill to allow medical cannabis for certain patients with serious illnesses in Tennessee has passed a second House committee, The Tennessean reports. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Crosby, advanced from the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee with a 9-2 vote. Changes made to the bill include elimination a provision that would allow people to obtain medical cannabis cards from other states in order to hold cannabis in Tennessee, and removal of two of the acceptable illnesses.

Solo Practitioner Wins Unanimous U.S. Supreme Court Decision

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 28, 2018
In a rare feat, a solo practitioner from the U.S. Virgin Islands yesterday won a unanimous verdict from the U.S. Supreme Court, Above the Law reports. The court decided Hall v. Hall, a family dispute in which solo attorney Andrew Simpson represented the losing party in a lower court’s decision. Though the odds were stacked against Simpson, including an amicus brief filed by retired federal district court judges that urged the court to rule against his client, Simpson ultimately won with every justice ruling in his favor.

Nashville Man Awaits Ruling on Freedom After 20 Years in Prison

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Mar 28, 2018
A Nashville man who was freed two years ago after 20 years behind bars might be headed back to prison if federal prosecutors have their way, WPLN reports. Prosecutors say Matthew Charles, whose sentence was reduced by almost a decade based on Obama-era drug sentencing changes, shouldn’t have been released because he was considered a “career offender.” He will find out his ultimate fate at a hearing this week.
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