The Commercial Appeal agrees with Memphis City Court Clerk Thomas Long: clerks positions in Shelby County should be appointed rather than elected. The editorial states that party affiliation is not an indicator of whether or not someone is qualified for the job. Long, whose current term ends Dec. 31, recommended an appointment system last Tuesday at the Memphis City Council meeting.

The Tennessee Department of Commence and Insurance opened a formal investigation of a complaint against Providence Community Corrections (PCC). The company handles misdemeanor and traffic probation in Rutherford County. The Tennessean reports PCC and Rutherford County are named in a federal racketeering lawsuit that alleges “the probation system punishes people living in poverty by charging fees and creating a never-ending cycle of probation.” PCC, which changed its name in November to Pathways Community Corrections, denies any wrongdoing.

Christmas at the Courthouse, a Chattanooga program created 31 years ago by county attorney Mike Mann, wrapped up its first week Friday at the Hamilton County Courthouse. Chancery and Circuit Court judges were honored for their service to the county, a long-standing tradition at the event. Read more from WDEF.

Greene County General Sessions Court Judge Kenneth Bailey Jr. says a second sessions judge is necessary to help manage the growing caseload, but funding issues in Greene County could keep the request at bay. "Every county larger than us has two sessions judges. Counties smaller than us have two sessions judges," Bailey said. "We are at the point where I feel like I'm spinning my wheels when it regards repeat offenders." Read more from The Greeneville Sun.

Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge John Everett Williams, chair of the Tennessee Lawyer’s Assistance Program (TLAP), was the keynote speaker last month at the Missouri Bar Association’s Lawyers’ Assistance Program annual dinner. Williams spoke about the TLAP program and how it has become a leader among programs like it across the country. “The success of our TLAP program rests with three core principles: We have the support of our Supreme Court, we have an outstanding staff at TLAP, we have an good number of quality volunteers,” Williams said.

“You go to jail, you don’t go to jail. It became very real.” Irma Paz-Bernstein – Nashville Electric Service board chairwoman and local business owner – shares her experience as a first-time juror in a two-week trial for three men accused of defrauding banks. Paz-Bernstein, who was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in the same building as the trial, said her time as a juror showed her the importance of the role. “We were all so different, but all lovely people. And they all shared with me a tradition of being an American,” she said. Read more from The Tennessean.

The Tennessean is questioning the Sumner County Board of Education's Dec. 1 closed meeting when it discussed appealing a ruling that had found the board in violation of the state’s Open Records Act. School board members spent approximately 30 minutes in a closed-door executive session meeting with Director of Schools Del Phillips and board attorney Jim Fuqua. Phillips said the board did not deliberate during that session. “The appeal wasn’t even close to the bulk of what was discussed,” he said.

Photos from the 32nd Annual TBA Academy and Admission Ceremony held this week Washington, D.C., are now available on the TBA website. Nine Tennessee attorneys were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. You can view the list of attorneys here. 

The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TDAGC) will no longer contract with outside attorneys to handle cases when a local prosecutor has a conflict – a practice that led to a criminal investigation of Nashville prosecutor Glenn Funk. The Tennessean reports Executive Director Jerry Estes said the change was made before he started in the role July 1. "The practice of retaining attorneys outside the conference had pretty much stopped," Estes said. "Usually it had been someone who was a retired (district attorney) or somebody who was an elected (district attorney) like General Funk was." Funk will not face criminal prosecution related to his employment at the TDAGC.

The Elk Valley Times reports Weakley E. “Eddie” Barnard, assistant district attorney general for the 17th District, received the President’s Award by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. The 17th District includes Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall and Moore counties. The President’s Award is presented annually to assistant district attorneys who improve the quality of justice in the state. “I am motivated by the pursuit of justice,” Barnard said. “We have strived to go above and beyond what’s required to serve our community.”