A new legislate task force focused on expanding Tennessee’s health coverage held its inaugural meeting Tuesday. “The 3-Star Healthy Project” was established earlier this month by House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville. The task force estimates there’s between 200,000 and 400,000 uninsured individuals in the state, largely consisting of employees in food service and construction industries, as well as veterans. Read more from The Tennessean. 

Attorney General Hebert Slatery will appeal a federal judge’s order to recount votes on the 2014 abortion measure Amendment 1, The Tennessean reports. Slatery filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati on Tuesday. "Simply put, deciding what vote is required to amend the Tennessee Constitution is a matter of state law to be determined by a Tennessee court,” said Harlow Sumerford, Slatery’s spokesman. While U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp had given the state 20 days to submit a recount plan, the appeal puts any potential recount on hold.

The defendant, Cordricus Arnold, was convicted of first degree (felony) murder. On appeal, he argues that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction and that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury regarding the offense of voluntary manslaughter. Following our review of the briefs of the parties, the record, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Defendant, John T. Davis, filed a motion under Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1 alleging that his concurrent sentences in case numbers 8050, 8452, and 9171 were illegal because he was released on parole in case numbers 8050 and 8452 at the time he committed the offenses in case number 9171. The trial court summarily dismissed the motion. After review of the record and the briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Prosecutors dropped charges against former Vanderbilt University football player Cory Batey that accused him of violating the sex offender registry law. The Tennessean reports General Sessions Judge Rachel Bell today granted Assistant District Attorney General Addie Askew’s request to dismiss the charges. Batey’s sentencing for aggravated rape and other charges is set for May 20. 

Republicans in Congress today blocked a confirmation vote on nearly a dozen judicial nominees, including U.S. District Court nominee Edward Stanton III. The Memphis attorney was nominated by President Obama nearly a year ago and was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last October. The Senate voted two weeks ago to confirm Nashville attorney Waverly Crenshaw Jr. to a U.S. District Court judgeship in Middle Tennessee. The Commercial Appeal reports more than three dozen seats on federal appellate and district courts are also vacant awaiting confirmations.

The ABA Journal reports on several issues attorneys across the country have raised with Avvo, an online legal directory. Attorneys contended the site’s fixed-fee legal services could violate rules against fee sharing in several states. Avvo Chief Legal Officer Josh King defended the fee arrangement, saying, “You can’t apply the ethics rules unless there’s consumer harm.” Another lawyer raised concerns about unearned fees held by Avvo each month and said the company is diverting interest that would otherwise go to fund legal aid. 

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is now accepting applications for the Chancery Court judge vacancy in the 20th Judicial District (Davidson County). Chancellor Carol McCoy announced that she will retire effective Sept. 1. Any interested applicant must be a licensed attorney who is at least 30 years of age, a resident of the state for five years and a resident of the 20th Judicial District. Applicants must complete the designated online application and submit it to the Administrative Office of the Courts by noon CDT on May 20. The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will interview all qualified applicants in Nashville on June 14. 

Analysis by a Minneapolis law professor predicts more people will apply to law school this admissions cycle, which will be the first increase in applicants since 2010. Jerry Organ, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, also found an increase in the number of law school applicants with Law School Admission Test scores of at least 165. As of April 15, about 500 more test-takers had those scores compared to the number a year ago, the ABA Journal reports. “The good news is that the [applicant] pool is larger and stronger,” Organ said.