Retired U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla died May 15 at age 79. A visitation will be held on June 13 from 10 to 10:45 a.m. CDT at Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1720 Peabody Ave., Memphis 38104 in Trezevant Hall. At 11 a.m., a funeral service will celebrate the lives of McCalla and his wife, Mary, who died in April. A reception will follow at the University Club of Memphis, 1346 Central Ave., Memphis 38104. Memorial gifts may be made to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Otolaryngology Advancement Fund; Historic Archives of Rosemark and Environs Inc. by mail to 8671 Rosemark Rd., Millington, TN 38053; or Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church online or by mail at the address above.

According to a statement released on May 21, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, has introduced six articles of impeachment against U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Local Memphis reports that Cohen claims Roberts has committed high crimes and misdemeanors by "violating the Constitution, disregarding his statutory obligations as Chief Justice, and breaching his oaths of office." Specifically, the articles assert that Roberts has allowed the court to become a partisan force and has "systematically preferred the powerful over the people" and delivered "arbitrary, unexplained, and inconsistent decisions that violate the Constitutional protection of the parties." No co-sponsors have come forward so far but Newsweek reports that the effort reflects widespread Democratic frustration with recent rulings. In previous remarks Roberts has pushed back against characterizations of the court as politically motivated.

Senior Judge Don R. Ash has been assigned to oversee the cases of 11 current and former Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) employees, including former Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones, indicted on charges of conspiring to illegally spend drug funds and misuse department staff time. According to WBIR, Ash was assigned because Knox County judicial personnel have personal connections to several defendants. Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen similarly recused herself, and Steven Crump, executive director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, has been appointed district attorney general pro tem. The indictments — stemming from a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe built on a prior federal investigation — came shortly after a county Republican primary in which two of the defendants ran for sheriff. That race ultimately was won by a KCSO employee who was not among those charged. Knox News has more on the case.

Starting July 1, the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission will begin enforcing a 2025 law that effectively will ban THCA and similar popular hemp-derived products. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the ban is expected to heavily impact an industry that had grown significantly since 2018. Experts project severe economic consequences — including a drop in state hemp tax projections from over $55 million to under $10 million — given that THCA alone accounts for roughly 75% of hemp sales. Meanwhile, broader uncertainty looms as federal reclassification of marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 and removal of a state provision that would have triggered a medical marijuana review leave Tennessee's long-term cannabis policy unresolved. The news outlet reports that medical marijuana legislation is anticipated to be introduced when the state legislature reconvenes in January 2027.

Pre-registration for TBA's 2026 Convention in Knoxville will close this coming Sunday, June 7, at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Only on-site registration will be accepted after that point. This year's convention will run from June 10-13. Visit the TBA Convention site for more information, including the the registration form, event schedule, CLE line up and awards to be presented.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday vacated the second-degree murder convictions of Antonio Demetrius Adkisson, holding that his confession was involuntary and should not have been admitted at trial. In 2017, the 17-year-old was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Milan, tried as an adult after a juvenile court transfer and ultimately convicted by a jury of two counts of second-degree murder. The court upheld the transfer decision and found that Adkisson had validly waived his Miranda rights, but ruled that his confession was nonetheless involuntary under the totality of the circumstances, constituting a violation of the Fifth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution. As a result, the court vacated his convictions and remanded the case for further proceedings, over a partial dissent from Justice Sarah Campbell arguing that the confession was not unconstitutionally coercive. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The TBA International Law Section's annual forum — set for tomorrow in TBA's newly renovated CLE classroom — will provide an overview of the trade and investment landscape as it concerns Tennessee in 2026 and beyond. Programming will focus on Tennessee's foreign direct investment, global health perspectives and partnerships, international financing, global sales and supply chains, and more. Participants will have the opportunity for direct interactive discussions with speakers, and the chance to network, learn about best practices and chart a path to increase capacity for internationalization. Get more information and register here.

TBA's Litigation Section last week hosted Perspectives from the Bench, a discussion with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Nashville School of Law Dean William Koch, who served on the Supreme Court from 2007-2014. Moderated by section members Hunter Branstetter and Todd Presnell, the panel discussed each justice's path to the bench, paying particular attention to the fact that the path is not always linear. Bivins and Koch encouraged attendees to be open to new opportunities and to embrace stepping outside their comfort zones. The group also discussed the importance of mentors, the manner in which the justices interact, the importance of the Rule of Law in society and more. See photos from the event.

A federal judge on Tuesday declined to temporarily block Tennessee's newly redrawn congressional map, ruling that plaintiffs — several Black Memphis voters and organizations represented by the ACLU — had not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success in their claims that the map was racially discriminatory. The new map, passed during a special legislative session, eliminates the state's only majority-Black congressional district and would likely result in a 9-0 Republican House delegation. Plaintiffs argued the redraw was both racially motivated and poorly timed, coming amid active candidate filing deadlines ahead of an August primary. The judge acknowledged discrimination could have been a factor but stopped short of finding the legal bar met for emergency relief. The Hill reports that an appeal is expected. The same judge rejected an earlier temporary restraining order request from a group of Memphis congressional candidates.

Following last week's failed execution of Tony Carruthers, attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are calling on Gov. Bill Lee to pause all executions by lethal injection in the state. First Assistant Federal Public Defender Amy Harwell said, “Clearly there are issues regarding competency and training of corrections staff for executions. It is unconscionable to continue to schedule executions until the courts and the public have a full understanding of what changes need to be made.” WSMV reports that a Davidson County Chancery Court judge ordered the Department of Corrections to preserve evidence of what happened at last week's failed lethal injection procedure. Read more in a media advisory.