The petitioner, Alicia Williams, appeals the summary dismissal of her petition for writ of habeas corpus, which petition challenged her 2012 Shelby County Criminal Court guilty- pleaded conviction of second degree murder. Discerning no error, we affirm.

The defendant, Joseph Thomas, appeals his Shelby County Criminal Court jury convictions of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, claiming that the trial court erred by denying his motion to dismiss for failure to prosecute and by instructing the jury on criminal responsibility, that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions, and that the trial court erred by classifying the defendant as a career offender.

The defendant, Leslie Kennedy, appeals her Shelby County Criminal Court jury convictions of second offense driving under the influence and reckless driving, claiming that the evidence was insufficient to support her convictions. Discerning no error, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The Tennessean offers a summary of half a dozen LGBT-related bills regarding marriage rights, defining gender roles and bathroom access. The list includes the "Natural Marriage" bill (HB 1412/SB 1437), the Counselor Protection bill (HB 1850/SB 1556) and the Birth Gender bill (HB 2600/SB 2275).

Eligible Tennesseans who seek relief from Elavon Inc., following a settlement between the global credit card transaction processor and Attorney General Herbert Slatery, must file a complaint by Feb. 27. The settlement, reached November 2015, resolved allegations that the company was misrepresenting its cancellation policy and other items. Complaints may be filed online or by phone at (615) 741-4737.

The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia could complicate the confirmation of two Tennessee attorneys nominated to federal judgeships, according to Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. Nashville attorney Waverly Crenshaw Jr. and U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton III have both won the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but have yet to be scheduled for a full Senate vote. “…I think (his death) will be another excuse that could be used by the Republicans," Tobias said, according to the The Knoxville News Sentinel. The Senate confirmed just 11 nominees in 2015; the pace is the slowest in 60 years.

A Memphis Cheddar’s restaurant settled a lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that claimed the restaurant maintained a hostile work environment. The suit also stated Cheddar’s managers asked employees for sexual favors, WREG reports. The settlement requires the restaurant to pay $450,000 to 15 people and pay for the maintenance of workplace cameras.

The TBA’s Law Blog has been redesigned to help you stay up-to-date with Tennessee news that impacts your practice. New features include a search by content option that allows you to quickly access archived stories in news categories, including legal news, the General Assembly and the Tennessee Supreme Court. Opinions are also accessible and sortable from the page. The blog is updated throughout the day and is compatible with your smartphone and tablet, so make the TBA Law Blog your online source for Tennessee legal news. Take a quick video tour of the new blog.

The court document reads: “This is a case that involves a remarkably tenacious Mountain City squirrel.” A judge dismissed a case filed by former Mountain City Police Department officer Jody Sherman Putnam, who refused to file a discharge report after he fired at a squirrel found in the town’s Dollar General Store. Putnam sued the city after his employment was terminated for firing his weapon against policy. Read more from WJHL.