Puryear Law Group PLLC has changed its name to Puryear Pippenger & Cook PLLC to reflect the firm’s continued expansion and the leadership of its partners Andrew Pippenger and Charles Cook, according to firm founder Dan Puryear. The firm has offices in Nashville and Chattanooga. “Our firm’s new name marks a significant milestone in its history as we continue to grow our reach in representing a spectrum of clients in the financial services, real estate, construction and insurance industries,” said Puryear. Read more from Chattanoogan.com.

State Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, is leading the new Tennessee Street Racing Task Force, which is aimed at cracking down on street racing. Gillespie says street racing poses a serious public safety threat throughout the city of Memphis and the state. Action News 5 reports that Gillespie passed legislation this year that created the penalty of aggravated reckless driving and made drag racing a felony. The task force is expected to start meeting in August and is required to report its recommendations and findings in January 2025.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Tommy Baker on Monday announced the launch of the Tennessee Veteran Ready Business Program. This initiative aims to recognize Tennessee businesses that demonstrate exceptional commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining service members, veterans and their families. Watch the announcement and read more about the program.

The Davidson County Mental Health Court, led by Judge Melissa Blackburn, has been awarded certification by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It is one of the first two programs in Tennessee to receive this certification. Since its inception in 2001, the Davidson County program has been funded primarily by Metro Nashville. In 2022, legislative leaders worked with Blackburn to secure new funding for mental health courts across Tennessee, expanding access to this transformative program for those involved in the justice system and suffering from a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness. Read the press release from court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that a defamation and false light suit filed by Bill Charles against Donna McQueen must be dismissed under the Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA), the state's version of an anti-SLAPP statute. Charles was the president of the Durham Farms homeowners’ association in Hendersonville and a consultant for Freehold Communities, the company that developed the community. In 2020, residents petitioned local officials and some, including McQueen, wrote negative Google reviews on Freehold's Nashville regional office webpage, hoping to stop a proposed "rental-only" unit section of the community. Charles sued McQueen over the review, asserting claims for defamation and false light.

Brian Kelsey, former Republican state senator from Germantown, will not be allowed to rescind his guilty plea for campaign finance violations, upholding his 21-month prison sentence. The Tennessee Journal reports that two judges on a three-judge panel on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Kelsey’s attorney had not properly objected to an alleged breach of the plea agreement when a federal prosecutor agreed that the former lawmaker could face an enhanced sentence for perjuring himself when he tried to revoke his guilty plea. The third judge said the objection had been properly preserved, but found that the government did not breach its obligations under the plea agreement.

In May, the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) sent a letter to guardians and families of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live in state-run homes, informing them that the homes would be decommissioned for adults and repurposed to house children in custody of the Department of Children's Services (DCS). According to child advocates, DCS is now placing children with no known disability diagnoses for months at a time in those group homes to await evaluations for potential disabilities or mental health issues that, in some instances, they do not have. Advocates explain that while a child is living in a group home awaiting an evaluation, efforts to find a foster home halt, adding they are especially concerned that the normal safeguards for adults or children placed in group homes have been set aside for children in DCS custody. The Tennessee Lookout has the story.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a nonprofit organization that advocates for the separation of church and state, sent a letter of concern to Battle Creek Middle School in Spring Hill after a parent told the organization that the school’s principal, Mike Kinnard, led students in prayer at a May 23 graduation ceremony. According to the Tennessean, this is the second incident with Kinnard, who was challenged by FFRF in 2023 for using Bible verses and prayer to conclude an awards ceremony. Maury County Schools Superintendent Lisa Ventura responded to FFRF, in identical letters, that she spoke privately with the principal about both incidents. Despite the repeat incidents at the school, FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said she is optimistic that the school will take steps to ensure adherence to the establishment clause. “We’re pleased that Battle Creek will ensure graduation ceremonies going forward will honor the accomplishments of students instead of being misused for religious proselytization.”

The Tennessee Bar Association is conducting a survey to better understand attorneys' professional needs, and feedback is critical to ensure TBA can best support lawyers in Tennessee. Please watch your inbox July 10 for an email from President Ed Lanquist Jr. with survey instructions. On July 12, you'll receive an email invite from Avenue M Group LLC, an independent market research firm and our partner for this survey. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and is intended for both current members and nonmembers.

General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Sheila Renfroe has responded to allegations of bias from Assistant Public Defender Melody Carlisle, calling them an attempt to “impugn the integrity” of her court and alleging Carlisle has "knowingly made misrepresentations to the court in representation of her clients." Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft agreed Renfroe has taken actions that are “clearly indicative of personal animosity" toward Carlisle and removed Renfroe from 28 cases on June 28; Renfroe then filed an order reinstating herself to some of the cases. Craft, who has superseding jurisdiction over Renfroe’s court, subsequently filed a motion July 1 canceling Renfroe’s motion and affirming his ruling to keep her off all 28 cases, reports the Daily Memphian. Renfroe's response states that Carlisle is "disrespectful" and "sarcastic," and that her body language has been "disruptive" in court. Carlisle has explained it is partly a result of a medical condition.