Articles

All Content

5,138 Posts found
Previous • Page 341 of 514 • Next

Sevier County Lawyer Temporarily Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 7, 2017
Sevier County attorney Elizabeth Catherine Velasquez was suspended by order of the Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday. Section 12.3 of Supreme Court Rule 9 provides for the immediate summary suspension of an attorney’s license to practice law in cases of an attorney’s failure to respond to the Board regarding a complaint of misconduct. Velasquez must cease representing existing clients by Dec. 3 and may not accept any new clients.

Benton County Lawyer Disbarred

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 7, 2017
Benton County attorney Alan G. Ward was disbarred from the practice of law by order of the Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday. Ward failed to handle an urgent child custody petition expeditiously, caused signatures on a pleading to be falsely dated and failed to communicate with the child’s guardian ad litem. When terminated by his clients, he failed to promptly return their file. He did not refund the unearned portion of his fee. In a separate matter, Ward was appointed to represent two indigent defendants in the Court of Criminal Appeals in two different cases. He failed to file a brief on behalf of his clients, failed to respond to orders from the Court of Criminal Appeals and abandoned his representation of the clients. 

Services Saturday for Knoxville Attorney

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
Knoxville lawyer Edward Wilson died on Nov. 2. He was 77. Wilson was a Knoxville native who graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1963. He was an Assistant U.S.  Attorney in Knoxville and an Assistant District Attorney for Knox and Sullivan counties. He retired from the Office of the District Attorney in Sullivan County in 2006. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at St. John's Cathedral, 413 West Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John's Cathedral, P.O. Box 153, Knoxville, 37901.

Court Orders $500K Settlement for Utah Nurse Who Refused Officer’s Request

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
The Utah nurse who was arrested for refusing a police officer’s request for a blood draw from a patient has been awarded a $500,000 settlement, the ABA Journal reports. Det. Jeff Payne wanted blood drawn from a trucker injured in a crash while fleeing from police, but the nurse, Alex Wubbels, refused. She was forced into a squad car in an incident that was filmed and shared widely on social media.

Black Farmers Association Calls on Trump to Accept Ruling in USDA Suit

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
The Memphis-based Black Farmers and Agriculturists Association called on President Donald Trump to accept a court ruling that could lead to payouts over $1 billion to growers who were denied assistance based on race, The Commercial Appeal reports. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., last week issued an order denying a USDA ruling that would have thrown out the claims of 15,000 black farmers. The case was originally brought by Earnest Lee Boyland, a farmer from Mason, Tennessee.

Sen. Tracy Resigns Following Trump Administration Appointment

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
Longtime Shelbyville Senator Jim Tracy has been appointed by the Trump Administration to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office, triggering his resignation from the state Senate, The Tennessean reports. Tracy’s resignation means there will be a special election for his empty seat, which Gov. Bill Haslam must order following his issuance of a writ of election, which has not occurred yet.

Court Rules Sevier Jailers Not Liable for Inmate's Death

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
A federal appeals court has ruled that Sevier County jailers shouldn’t be held liable for an inmate's death because they were following a nurse’s advice, Knoxnews reports. The family of Samuel M. McGaw IV filed a suit after he fell into a coma in a Sevier County Jail cell in 2014, 24 hours after he was booked into the facility high on alcohol and pills. The jailers knew McGaw was in danger, but trusted a nurse’s trained assessment that he go untreated. The ruling means the case now returns to U.S. District Court Judge Pamela Reeves’ court for a trial with Sevier County leaders as the sole defendants.

Freeman to Run for Harwell’s Nashville House Seat

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
Bob Freeman, a real estate professional and son of former Nashville mayoral candidate Bill Freeman, officially announced over the weekend his run for Tennessee House District 56, the seat currently occupied by departing House Speaker Beth Harwell. The Tennessean reports that Freeman is the only Democrat currently in the race, while Brent Moody, a surgeon, and Joseph Williams, an attorney, are running on the Republican side. Freeman is the co-founder of Freeman Applegate Partners, a consulting and construction firm.

Pera Spills on Favorite Movies, BBQ, TBA Conventions

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
In the final video of our interview series, TBA President Lucian Pera answers a series of rapid-fire questions about topics ranging from past TBA conventions to favorite films. If you’ve ever wanted to know which Memphis barbeque place Pera thinks is number one, check out our video on YouTube. This is the fourth video in our series, which has covered Pera’s thoughts on the importance of bar work, the future of the legal profession, and the role of lawyers as leaders in their communities.

CLE on Special Needs Trusts Planned for Nov. 16

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 6, 2017
A new CLE on Special Needs Trusts will be held Nov. 16 at the Tennessee Bar Center in Nashville. This program will navigate through the tax code to maximize advantages for Qualified Disability Trusts and discuss ethical considerations of using a trust to qualify for Medicaid. There are many duties and ethical considerations associated with serving as a trustee – learn about these issues in this specialized program. 
Previous • Page 341 of 514 • Next