Mike Jones of Murfreesboro has announced he is suspending his campaign for 16th Judicial District Circuit Court (Division 1) judge and will support Judge Terry Fann in the upcoming election for the same position. WGNS Radio reports that Jones stated, “Suspending my campaign was not a decision that I took lightly, but at this time, I truly believe it is the right decision for the constituents in the 16th Judicial District. I now urge my fellow citizens in Rutherford and Cannon County to join me in voting for Judge Fann in the August general election.” Fann was appointed to the bench by Gov. Bill Lee in November 2023 to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mark Rogers.

Shelby County Circuit Judge Carol Chumney on Monday ruled that Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant acted in self-defense when he punched Joshua Holloway (then 17) at Mornant's home in July 2022. The decision states that Morant "enjoys a presumption of civil immunity" under Tennessee's self-defense immunity statute and that the burden of proof shifts to Holloway and his legal team to prove that Morant did not act in self-defense. ESPN has the story.

TBA leadership will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to participate in the American Bar Association's (ABA) annual Day on the Hill. Executive Director Sheree Wright, TBA President Jim Barry, TBA President-elect Ed Lanquist, TBA YLD President-elect Sean Aiello and ABA Resource Committee Chair Jonathan Cole will meet with the Tennessee congressional delegation to discuss funding for the Legal Services Corporation, which provides grants to civil legal aid organizations in Tennessee and across the country. Other legislative initiatives being promoted this year include increased funding for federal public defenders, support for attorney-client confidentiality over prison email systems, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and reforms to student lending.

Join colleagues on April 25 at 11:30 a.m. CDT for the third webcast in an attorney well-being series, presented by the TBA Women in the Profession Committee. This one-hour session will use research associated with increased alcohol and drug use; increased stress, anxiety and depression; and feelings of isolation to provide real world strategies to achieve wellness while facing daily professional challenges.

Jury selection began Monday in the first of two criminal cases against Cleotha Abston, who is accused of the 2021 rape of Alicia Franklin. He is also charged separately in the 2022 kidnapping and killing of Memphis schoolteacher Eliza Fletcher. The Daily Memphian reports that the trial on Abston’s charges in the Franklin case — including aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping — is expected to last through the week, and the jury will be sequestered. Abston will go on trial for Fletcher's murder later this year.

Bass, Berry & Sims was named the firm recipient of the 2024 National Public Service Award by the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Business Law Section. This annual award honors significant pro bono legal contributions of law firms, corporate law departments and individual lawyers that demonstrate a commitment to providing legal services to individuals and entities that could not otherwise afford them. The award was presented to Pro Bono Member David Esquivel at the ABA’s Business Law Spring Meeting in Orlando, Florida, on April 5. Read more about the award and the firm's pro bono work in a press release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has suspended Georgia attorney John Cris Helton from the practice of law in Tennessee for five years, with four years to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation with the condition that Helton engage a practice monitor. The court found that Helton failed to file required federal income tax returns for several years and willfully attempted to avoid tax liabilities. After the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) initiated civil litigation against Helton to recover approximately $400,000 in owed income taxes, Helton filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection, asserting that the IRS lien should be discharged. The federal bankruptcy court determined that the tax debt was non-dischargeable because the failure to pay was willful and intentional. On appeal, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court ruling. Helton agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(c).

A bill to require public schools in Tennessee to teach children age-appropriate firearms safety concepts as early as pre-Kindergarten is on its way to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk after a final Senate vote last week. The Senate passed HB2882 in a party-line vote of 24 to 3 last Thursday. It passed the House of Representatives in February. Sponsor Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, said, "This curriculum would be developed to instruct children on how to properly stay away from a firearm if they happen to see a firearm, and what to do as far as reporting if they find a firearm." Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, argued that the training requirement represents a hurried effort to address the symptom of a systemic problem, and lawmakers should be doing more to address the root cause. The Tennessean has the story.

Tennessee Eastern Bankruptcy Court Judge Shelley Rucker retired on April 1. A graduate of Texas Christian University and the University of Georgia School of Law, Rucker joined Miller & Martin in Chattanooga in 1983 and remained with the firm for 27 years. She was one of Miller & Martin’s first female partners and served as the chair of the firm’s bankruptcy practice group, playing a key role in many large Chapter 11 cases. Rucker was appointed to the bench in 2010. The Hamilton County Herald has this tribute to her long career.

Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) held its annual Camp TLAP Conference last weekend at Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson. Dr. Michael Baron received TLAP's "Stephenson Volunteer of the Year" Award. Baron serves on the TLAP Commission. He is a medical doctor and psychiatrist and also the director of the Tennessee Medical Foundation and Physician's Health Program. Baron has dedicated many hours of expert medical support to TLAP in designing approved diagnostics, treatment and monitoring. With Baron's input, TLAP's programming is delivering "gold standard" clinical and monitoring services to the legal profession in Tennessee. See photo from the event.