The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended the law license of David J. Johnson based on his conviction for wire fraud. Johnson was ordered to fully comply with the provisions of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, section 18, which requires, in part, withdrawal from representation and prohibits undertaking any new representation. Download the BPR notice.

A new bill that would allow groups looking to open charter schools to circumvent the local school board and apply straight to the state Board of Education appears targeted at the Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) system, the Nashville City Paper reports. The proposal would only apply to ounties with a population of at least 600,000 -- Davidson and Shelby counties -- but was likely prompted by last year's dustup between MNPS and the state over the rejection of a charter school proposal. After passage by a House subcommittee this week, the bill is headed to the full Education Committee.

State Sen. Ophelia Ford, D-Memphis, requested to delay a vote on a constitutional amendment that would abolish Tennessee’s current method of judicial selection during Thursday’s legislative session. Ford said she had questions and wanted to wait until the state attorney general addressed them. Despite controversy and brief confusion over delaying the vote, the motion to roll the bill until next Thursday was approved. WMC News 5 has the story.

Lawmakers have filed a new bill to legalize the creation of municipal school systems despite the previous attempt being overturned in November by U.S. District Judge Samuel Mays, the Memphis Business Journal reports.

An online exhibit dedicated to the 14 African Americans elected to the Tennessee General Assembly between 1874 and 1887 is being updated and expanded in honor of Black History Month. “This Honorable Body: African American Legislators in 19th Century Tennessee” was created in 2006 at the request of the state legislature’s black caucus, and has become one of the most popular online exhibits according to WATE News 6. Updates feature more detailed biographies of the each of the lawmakers and texts of the bills they sponsored while serving in the General Assembly.

A federal judge has approved Transocean Deepwater Ltd’s criminal plea as part of a $1.4 billion settlement with the Justice Department over liability for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the National Law Journal reports. The company pleaded guilty on Jan. 3 to one misdemeanor count of violating the U.S. Clean Water Act by contributing to the discharge of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and agreed to pay $400 million in criminal penalties.

Five attorneys have applied to fill the 17th Judicial District Circuit Court vacancy created by the Hon. Robert Crigler’s retirement. The 17th district serves Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall and Moore counties. The candidates are Forest A. Durard Jr. of Shelbyville, Brooke Charles Grubb of Fayetteville, Barbara G. Medley of Lewisburg, John Harvey Norton III of Shelbyville and Michael Randles of Lewisburg. The Judicial Nomination Commission will hold a public meeting March 8 at the Blue Ribbon Circle Club/Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville to interview the applicants.

Nominations are being accepted for the 3rd Judicial District Chancery Court seat, which became vacant when Chancellor Thomas R. “Skip” Frierson’s was appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The 3rd district serves Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins and Greene counties. Applications are due to the Judicial Nominating Commission by March 11.

State Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, is pressing legislation aimed at blocking Chattanooga from allegedly “cherry picking” affluent suburbs outside its current urban growth boundary plan. “This bill would say that before you can open your urban growth plan you must annex all areas within your currently existing urban growth area.” Carter told the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Judge Phil B. Harris died yesterday (Feb. 13) at the age of 94. He was a graduate of the University of Tennessee and received his J.D.  from the University of Virginia. During law school, Harris left to serve in the military during World War II, was honorably discharged, then returned to finish his degree. He was elected as Circuit Court Judge for the 14th Judicial District, presiding until his retirement in 1990. Judge Harris also served specially on the Worker's Compensation Panel of the Supreme Court. Visitation will be Friday 5-8 p.m., with  funeral service set for Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian in Greenfield. The family requests any donations should go to charity.