In the wake of Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Derrick Schofield's resignation, NBC News takes an in-depth look at problems that have plagued Tennessee’s prisons. Gov. Bill Haslam has praised Schofield’s term, which included changes to security policies, but staffers and prisoners have painted a very different picture of the state’s prison system. The report takes a look at issues with population management, lack of training for employees and “near-crisis levels” at West Tennessee State Penitentiary. 

The Administrative Office of the Courts is seeking attorneys who are interested in contracting with the AOC for judicial hospitalization services in the General Sessions Courts in Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Hardeman and Wilson Counties. Attorneys will represent indigent respondents facing involuntary emergency judicial hospitalization. The contract arrangement establishes compensation based on dockets. Applications by county and more information are available here. 

Nashville attorney Richard Busch from the firm King and Ballow is representing two California songwriters who have filed a copyright lawsuit against pop star Ed Sheeran. The songwriters, Martin Harrington and Tom Leonard, claim Sheeran ripped off their song as the basis for his hit, “Photograph.” Busch has won many landmark music copyright cases in his career, including one on behalf of Marvin Gaye’s family against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their song “Blurred Lines.” Read more from The Tennessean. 

The defendant, Sergei A. Novikov, appeals his Wilson County Criminal Court bench conviction of criminal trespass, claiming that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. Discerning no error, we affirm.

Ross Pruitt (“the Defendant”) appeals the Blount County Circuit Court’s order revoking his probation and imposing the balance of his two-year sentence for aggravated statutory rape. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court abused its discretion by ordering him to serve the balance of his sentence in confinement as opposed to split confinement with the added condition that his internet access be monitored and restricted while on probation. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The petitioner sought a writ of mandamus to compel the district attorney general to furnish him with copies of records pertaining to his criminal case. The trial court dismissed the petition, finding that the district attorney general named in the petition had retired, that the statute did not require delivery of records to an incarcerated petitioner, and that the records had been provided in discovery and were no longer available to produce for inspection. The petitioner appeals. We affirm.

The Defendant, Adam Christopher Butler, was convicted by a Madison County Circuit Court jury of vandalism of property valued at $1000 or more. See T.C.A. § 39-14-408 (2014) (amended 2015). The trial court sentenced the Defendant to an effective four years on community corrections. On appeal, the Defendant contends that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction and (2) the trial court erred in excluding testimony relative to the victim's accusations against another person. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Knoxville denim business owner George Marcus Hall was sentenced today to nearly three years in prison for running an illegal gambling operation and using his business to launder the profits, WATE reports. Hall, owner of Marc Nelson Denim, pleaded guilty last year to charges including directing and owning an illegal gambling operation.  

Section members and others attending the upcoming TBA Annual Convention in Nashville will have the opportunity to observe or take part in a number of TBA Sections meetings. It’s a good opportunity to introduce yourself to a section that you may be interested in joining. You do not have to be registered for convention in order to attend the Sections meetings. View the schedule here. 

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation today announced that Jenny Howard will serve as general counsel for the department. Howard, who joined TDEC in 2012, previously served as deputy general counsel and legislative liaison.