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Barry Calls for District Attorney to Recuse Himself from Affair Investigation

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 23, 2018
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s office is calling for District Attorney Glenn Funk to recuse himself from the criminal investigation into her affair, The Tennessean reports. The office of the mayor claims that Funk has a conflict of interest because the budget of the DA’s office is overseen by the mayor’s office. A legal opinion from Memphis attorney and TBA President Lucian Pera was utilized by the mayor’s office in its release. Pera issued the opinion in his capacity as a private attorney and ethics expert. The TBA does not take official positions in investigations of this nature.

Judge Orders New Trial for Veteran Convicted in YouTube Video Case

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
A federal judge has ordered a new trial for a veteran charged with transmitting a threat to kill after he posted a song on YouTube with threatening lyrics, Knoxnews reports. Franklin Delano “Dale” Jeffries, who in the video threatened violence against Knox County Chancellor Mike Moyers, saw his 2011 conviction vacated by U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips. Phillips’ ruling states that prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt a defendant “intended to convey a ‘true’ threat.” Jeffries currently sits in jail awaiting trial in a similar case, in which he claimed on Facebook that he had a bomb and that “everyone in Knoxville will die on Thanksgiving.”

U.S. District Judge Greer to Retire

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer announced this week that he will retire to senior status on June 30, and will continue to serve as a senior judge with a reduced caseload, the Greeneville Sun reports. Greer was first appointed to the federal bench in 2003 by President George W. Bush, where he served Greene, Carter, Cocke, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counts. He also served as a state senator representing Tennessee’s First District from 1986 to 1994.

Williamson Schools Superintendent Charged with Assault

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney was charged with one count of simple assault and turned himself in yesterday, The Tennessean reports. According to police, Looney acted in an “aggressive” manner and “attempted to intervene” with police on the scene at Franklin High School. Officers were responding to a report that a student was having a psychological emergency. The school district said via statement that the charge is without merit, which Looney echoed in a statement of his own. “I completely deny the allegations and have faith that the legal process will result in a positive resolution,” Looney said.

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Nashville Police Records Appeal

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court will not hear the appeal of a lower court ruling granting a plaintiff access to police accident reports in a timely manner, the Nashville Post reports. Bradley Jetmore sued Metro Nashville two years ago, challenging a policy by the city’s police department that limited access to accident reports within 72 hours. He won and was awarded more than $56,000 in attorneys' fees.

Federal Judge Dismisses Taylor Swift Copyright Suit

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
Taylor Swift is victorious in court again, after a California judge dismissed a copyright lawsuit over the lyrics to her song “Shake It Off,” The Washington Post reports. The suit claimed Swift stole lyrics from the 2001 song “Playas Gon’ Play” by 3LW, which featured the lyrics “players gonna play” and “haters gonna hate.” U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled that those lines alone to not qualify as creative and original enough to warrant copyright protection.

Electoral College System is Unconstitutional, Claims New Federal Lawsuits

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
A coalition of law firms and professors has filed four federal lawsuits claiming the winner-take-all system of the electoral college violates the U.S. constitution, the ABA Journal reports. The suits were filed in South Carolina, Texas, Massachusetts and California, and they argue that the winner-take-all system, in which a candidate could win the presidency but not the popular vote, denies citizens the right to an equal vote and is a violation of the right to political expression.

Nude Photos, Deleted Chats May Point to Wrongdoing in Nashville Mayor Investigation

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says it obtained nude photos of a woman taken on the phone of former police Sgt. Rob Forrest which points to evidence that Nashville Mayor Megan Barry engaged in an affair with the officer while he was on the clock, The Tennessean reports. Court filings show that the TBI took possession of Barry’s phone on Friday, and investigators have already uncovered 260 deleted chats and 35 deleted call logs between the mayor and her former bodyguard. NewsChannel5 reports that security video shows the pair during multiple early-morning visits to the city cemetery, at a time when Forrest was on the job.

Online: Tax Issues in Hiring Family Members

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 22, 2018
In this new online program, attorney John Burns will discuss tax issues to consider for your clients when they want to hire family members. Some of the tax issues discussed include the benefits of hiring family members, general considerations, sole proprietorships, and corporations. 

Putnam County Approves New Service for Domestic Violence Victims

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 21, 2018
The Putnam County Commission yesterday approved a request from General Sessions Court judges to appoint Candie Cooper, a youth services officer in the juvenile court system, as a judicial commissioner and have her serve at the Upper Cumberland Family Justice Center, the Herald-Citizen reports. It will simply the process for victims of domestic violence to obtain orders of protection. The Family Justice Center provides services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse.
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