A task force formed by Gov. Bill Haslam met today in Nashville to examine Tennessee's sentencing structure and examine ways to reduce the state's high recidivism rate. It's the group's third meeting since being formed by Haslam last year in an overall effort to reduce crime and improve public safety. The Task Force will develop recommendations to give to the Governor's Public Safety Subcabinet by June. News Channel 9 has more.

In a one-sentence order, the Supreme Court yesterday granted a stay of execution to three inmates who had challenged Oklahoma's use of the drug midazolam as a part of its lethal injection protocol, WCYB reports. The inmates, all convicted murderers, contend that Oklahoma’s planned use of midazolam could violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishments. The sedative failed in the state’s bungled execution last April of Clayton Lockett, who awoke and apparently writhed in pain before dying of a heart attack 43 minutes after being injected. Arguments are scheduled for April 29, with a decision expected before July, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Mark Chalos is the new managing partner at the Nashville office of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, the Nashville Post reports. Chalos replaces Kathryn Barnett, who left Lieff Cabraser last year to become managing partner of the then-new Nashville branch of Morgan & Morgan. Chalos has been a member of Lieff Cabraser for more than a decade, representing clients in catastrophic injury and defective product cases, as well patients prescribed dangerous medications or who received defective medical devices.

Bradley Aaron Teplitsky was publically censured yesterday (Jan. 28) for submitting a false affidavit to the CLE Commission claiming to have attended two Memphis Bar Association seminars. Darryl Wayne Humphrey received a public censure Monday (Jan. 26) for failing to keep his client’s funds in his trust account, failing to promptly issue a refund upon termination of the representation and failing to maintain reasonable communication with his client after the refund was requested.

Chattanooga lawmakers peppered Gov. Bill Haslam with questions about his Insure Tennessee health insurance plan this morning, asking everything from details about copays, to whether the federal government is a trustworthy partner in the effort. Chattanooga is the latest stop on the governor's statewide sprint to meet with lawmakers before the Tennessee legislature starts a special session next week to consider the plan. Haslam said after the roundtable that it is still too early to predict whether he has the votes from the legislature to pass the bill. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story.

Rutherford County has notified the vendor for a Circuit Court Clerk computer software program it is dissatisfied with the system, Mayor Ernest Burgess said today. The county sent a "notice of dispute" to NewDawn Technologies of Utah on Jan. 23. The computer software program cost some $730,000, but the county's total expense is estimated at $900,000 to $1 million because of personnel hired to set it up and overtime costs for information downloading. Burgess hinted at a County Commission meeting in late 2014 that the matter could wind up in court and noted that the commission's next discussion about the system could be done in executive session, The Murfreesboro Post reports.

The future of the Drug Task Force (DTF) for the First Judicial District hangs in the balance, as three officers, covering four counties, will soon become just two. District Attorney Tony Clark told WJHL that at one time there were as many as 12 DFT officers covering Washington, Unicoi, Carter and Johnson counties. Now, Johnson City is preparing to pull its DTF officer, Mike Adams, who is also the current director. "It's very difficult to keep a DTF going without the manpower that you need to do it," Clark said. “And three or four agents, while they're working and they're making cases, is just not enough when you're talking about working in an rea that is as large as we have in this entire district.

Hal Wilkins was disbarred from the practice of law on Jan. 28  for three complaints of misconduct. Wilkins was previously disbarred in another case on July 22, 2014. View the BPR notice.

Leroy Cain Jr. was suspended yesterday (Jan. 28). While representing the heir of an estate in a probate matter, Cain received a check from the purchaser of property being sold by the estate and released the purchase money to the seller without ensuring the delivery of clear title. View the BPR notice.

Two days after a federal judge overturned Alabama's ban on same-sex marriages, a 14-day stay was granted on behalf of the suit's sole defendant, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, WMSV reports. Strange moved for a stay of the order, pending a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on similar cases in other states. Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore also commented on the ruling, stating in a letter to Gov. Robert Bently that a federal court ruling doesn't bind Alabama judges. Moore’s letter said he stood with the governor “to stop judicial tyranny and any unlawful opinions issued without constitutional authority,” and that that the institution of marriage is being destroyed by federal courts using “specious pretexts” such as the equal protection, due process and full faith and credit clauses. The ABA Journal has more.