The Herald Citizen details the financial disclosure statements of candidates running for posts within the 13th Judicial District -- Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and White counties. The statements include financial information from the first quarter that ran through March 31 and includes current campaign balances and how much candidates have spent so far. Because the candidates will appear on the May 6 primary election ballots, their next financial disclosure statements will be due on April 29.

Seven attorneys are competing to be the Democratic nominee for Davidson County General Sessions Court, Division IX, following Judge Sue McKnight Evans’ announcement that she is retiring after 18 years. With such a crowded field, a candidate needs to win just 15 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. The winner then will face Republican Adam Dread, a former Metro councilman, in the general election in August. The Tennessean has more.

The 108th Tennessee General Assembly has adjourned for the year. Legislation passing this session included measures to allow wine sales in grocery stores, fight methamphetamine production and give high school graduates free tuition at community colleges, which was a signature proposal of the governor, Knoxnews reports.

Tennessee lawmakers approved a compromise bill today that will allow the Amp to proceed as currently designed, although they aren’t ceding oversight of the planned $174 million bus rapid-transit project entirely. The Nashville Business Journal reports that under the compromise projects using a dedicated lane of traffic on a state highway would need the approval of a local legislative body and the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Bus rapid-transit projects that are state funded would be approved by the General Assembly in annual appropriations to TDOT, while projects that don't involve state funding will require individual approval by the General Assembly in the form of a joint resolution.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in a 12-year legal battle in Loudon County that pitted a mother’s religious freedom rights against state authorities who deemed her choice of prayer over medicine to be child abuse. Jacqueline Crank was convicted of misdemeanor child neglect after her daughter, Jessica Crank, died at the age of 15 in September 2002 from a rare form of bone cancer. Knoxnews has has the story.

Robertson County General Sessions Judge Burton Glover told the Tennessean he is retiring from the bench but won’t be retiring from government service completely. Glover has filed paperwork to enter the Robertson County Commission race in district 10. The position is contested with a total of four candidates, including one incumbent, Bobby Jones, seeking the two spots up for grabs in August. Assistant District Attorney Joel Perry will seek Glover’s judgeship. He is unopposed in the race.

Baker Donelson recently announced it has elected 13 new shareholders firm-wide. The new shareholders are: Natalie R. Bolling, Joel R. Buckberg, Ashby Q. Burks, Scott L. Campbell, Alisa L. Chestler, Jennifer G. Hall, Lee Harrell, Christie M. Hayes, Michael W. Horst, Erin E. Pelleteri, Tyler Weidlich, Everett White and Mason W. Wilson. Baker Donelson is the largest law firm in the Southeast, counting more than 680 attorneys in 18 offices across seven states, the Memphis Business Journal reports.

Tennessee’s statewide courtroom interpreter program was ranked sixth in the country in the “Justice Index” published by the National Center for Access to Justice at the Cordoza School of Law. By Tennessee Supreme Court Rule, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) assists in providing equal access to the courts to any participant who has a limited ability to speak or understand the English language. “This recognition is the culmination of years of hard work by many individuals who have recognized that justice requires that a participant in the courtroom be able to fully understand the proceedings,” said Administrative Office of the Courts Director Bill Young in a press release.

Robert Allen Doll III received a public censure on April 14. In conjunction with a probate matter, Doll failed to render competent representation, failed to act with reasonable diligence and failed to expedite litigation. Also, Doll failed to attend hearings and failed to comply with court orders, for which he was ultimately held in contempt. View BPR notice.

On April 15, Christopher Paul Westmoreland received a public censure for depositing client settlement funds into his operating account instead of his trust account on five separate occasions. In the first instance in March 2012, the client funds remained in Westmoreland’s operating account for more than three months. In each of the other instances, the client funds remained in his operating account for less than one month. View the BPR notice.