A $7.5 million wrongful-death suit was filed Friday in Knox County Circuit Court against UT Medical Center and University Health System Inc. on behalf of a detective’s widow. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports the lawsuit claims Jacksboro Police Department Detective Mike Starrett died in January due to an overdose of pain medication while he was being treated for injuries due to a car crash. The suit, filed by attorneys Gregory P. Isaacs and Chris Coffey, also states Starrett’s widow did not learn the true cause of her husband’s death until three months after he died. 

The Tennessee State Library & Archives has launched a new online ordering system for state Supreme Court cases that allows researchers to request cases dating back to the early 1800s. Cases may be requested in hard copy or digital scans. The records were formerly available only by visiting Nashville.

Chattanooga attorney Bo Hixson of Duncan, Hatcher, Hixson & Fleenor is running for the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia. The Hamilton County Herald reports he is the only Tennessean vying for the position. “Our clients who have transactional, litigation, and estate planning needs with their multi-generation and blended families living in both states require us to have an active presence with the State Bar,” Hixson said. 

The 13th annual TBA Bankruptcy Forum is planned for April 29 – May 1 at the Buckberry Lodge in Gatlinburg. Speakers include four U.S. Bankruptcy judges and advanced practitioners, who will provide an in-depth look at bankruptcy case developments in the Sixth Circuit and around the country. Ten hours of CLE credit are available, including three hours of ethics.

Chattanooga attorney Fisher Wise was arrested this week and charged with disorderly conduct and retaliation against a police officer after screaming incoherently outside the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Courts Building. The Times Free Press reports the officer attempted to calm Wise down and stop his profane language and racial slurs. Wise continued to make threats inside the jail. He is scheduled to appear April 28 in Hamilton County General Sessions Court.

The state Supreme Court’s Indigent Representation Task Force had its second meeting today at Waller law firm in Nashville. The Task Force added three advisory counsel members by voice vote: Jason Girchner, Tory Johnson and Christina Zawisza. Candi Henry of Dodson, Parker, Behm LLP will also be supporting the task force. The Task Force also announced a statewide hearing tour; dates and more information may be found here.

The Tennessean reports more than 200 musicians and songwriters lobbied Congress yesterday to pass legislation requiring broadcasters to compensate artists whenever AM or FM radio plays their songs. The Fair Play Fair Pay Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood. Radio play has traditionally been viewed as promotion and a way to drive record sales, and thus artists do not receive royalties. The National Association of Broadcasters opposes the measure.

“The biggest missed opportunity in marketing is playing it too safe. That’s true even if you’re a lawyer.” That's the word from marketing experts, who shared tips for lawyers on how to build a better brand at the Avvo Lawyernomics conference last week. “Bolder means differentiating yourself through your marketing and how you sound to the folks you’re trying to attract,” said Ann Handley, chief content officer of MarketingProfs. Read more from the ABA Journal. 

Fifteen former presidents of the American Bar Association said in a letter to U.S. Senate leaders that “there is no election-year exception” and call for hearings on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. The Associated Press reports the legal advocates said the GOP blockade is "injecting politics into the courts that lmaterially hampers the effective operation' of the judiciary."

Knox County prosecutors will continue to use a gang enhancement sentencing law despite the statute having been deemed unconstitutional. The Tennessee Court of Appeals struck down the law last week after ruling it was poorly drafted and too broad. Deputy District Attorney General Kyle Hixson said prosecutors will neither dismiss current charges or stop applying the law. "We are not flouting (the appellate court's) opinion. We're just preserving our rights," he said. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports the state Attorney General’s office is considering whether to ask the Tennessee Supreme Court to review the ruling.