The petitioner, Cody Holland, appeals the denial of post-conviction relief from his 2012 Rhea County Circuit Court guilty-pleaded conviction of rape, for which he received a sentence of 10 years. In this appeal, the petitioner contends that his guilty plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered and that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel. Discerning no error, we affirm.

Following a jury trial, the Defendant, Michael Lebron Branham, was convicted of aggravated robbery, a Class B felony; aggravated assault, a Class C felony; coercion of a witness, a Class D felony; aggravated burglary, a Class C felony; and employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, a Class C felony. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-13-102(a)(1)(A)(iii), -13-402(a)(1), -14-403, -16-507, -17-1324(b)(1). The trial court imposed a total effective sentence of twenty-nine years.

This is an appeal by Amanda P. from an order terminating her parental rights to her two minor children, Aiden M. and Kaidence M. The order terminating the appellant's parental rights was entered on May 5, 2015. The Notice of Appeal was not filed until June 26, 2015, more than (30) days from the date of entry of the final order. Because the Notice of Appeal was not timely filed, we have no jurisdiction to consider this appeal.

Robert Marshall Bailey, who previously practiced with his firm of Bailey, Roberts & Bailey, died Monday (Jan. 4). The Knoxville attorney retired from the practice of law in 2013. According to the Knoxville Bar Association, the family will receive friends on Tuesday from 5 - 7 p.m. at Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel in Knoxville. A service will follow at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bailey’s honor to the Knoxville Habitat for Humanity for Knoxville Bar Association 2016 Build, PO Box 27478, Knoxville, TN 37927, or Cancer Support Community of East Tennessee.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday disbarred Roane County lawyer Patricia Donice Butler. The Court took the action after Butler made false and misleading statements about members of a hearing panel, failed to diligently represent her clients, failed to communicate with her clients, failed to take necessary steps to protect her clients’ interest and failed to respond to Disciplinary Counsel investigating this case. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday suspended Joseph Scott Bean Jr. from the practice of law for four years, retroactive to July 3, 3014. The Franklin County attorney had been  summarily suspended on July 3, 2014, following his guilty plea to the crime of theft in an amount over $10,000. Read the BPR release.

Knoxville Rep. Bill Dunn wants legislators to quickly address the judicial confirmation process, following Gov. Bill Haslam’s appointment of Roger Amos Page to the Tennessee Supreme Court. A 2014 state constitutional amendment allows the the governor’s appointees to be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The House and Senate failed last year to agree on a plan for how the votes would occur; the vote is required within 60 days from the start of the annual session on Jan. 12. Dunn, R-Knoxville, wants to tack on a “sunset” provision to a plan discussed last year that would require the process to be revisited in 2017. Read more from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Retired Nashville attorney John Hollins Sr. died Thursday night. He was 83. Hollins co-founded Hollins Raybin & Weissman in 1976; he retired in 2011. He is best remembered for his pro bono representation of Jeffrey Womack, who was wrongfully accused in the 1975 murder of a 9-year-old girl. "(Hollins) was absolutely a fierce advocate and just a consummate attorney in the old school style of trying cases,” said David Raybin, who was a law partner with Hollins. A visitation is planned for Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 4815 Franklin Pike in Nashville. A memorial service will follow at 2 p.m. Read more from the Nashville Post. 

Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, said he has “lost confidence” in Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction’s CEO Patricia Weiland. Yager and other lawmakers confronted the longtime CEO on Thursday following an audit that revealed financial mismanagement. The mistakes, which included TRICOR and the Department of Correction operating without a contract, led to a $4 million deficit and TRICOR ending its prison food program. "I don't have any confidence in (Weiland’s) ability to clean up this problem that has been created under her watch," Yager said. Read more from The Tennessean.

How can attorneys make and keep reasonable resolutions for their careers? The ABA Journal features a podcast (with transcript) with tips for making and keeping achievable goals. “The starting point often is: Where does my success come from and how can I do more of the same? You know, where did my best clients come from? Where are my best relationships?” Karen Kaplowitz, president of a business-development consulting firm, said.