Gov. Bill Lee appointed Judge Jennifer Peck to the 11th Judicial District Circuit Court on May 9. She recently was sworn in by former Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Brandon Gibson, now chief operating officer in the governor’s office. Peck, a Chattanooga native, earned her law degree from Regent University in 2007 with the goal of becoming a judge. “I actually wanted to be a judge when I applied for law school,” she said. “It felt like a calling, a tug in my spirit, and that’s ultimately why I went to law school. It’s always been the goal.” Peck began presiding over cases in Hamilton County on May 12. Read more in Chattanoogan.com.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office nearly doubled its number of immigration detainees in May compared with January, marking the second consecutive month the jail has held more than 300 people on immigration-related matters, according to Knox News. The increase was driven in part by a surge in arrests in Middle Tennessee by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Last month, ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted 468 traffic stops and made 200 arrests in Nashville and surrounding areas. The Knox County Sheriff's Office partners with the federal government to detain those arrested in other counties. The Knox County Jail reported 303 immigration detainees in May, including a single-day high of 53 on May 9.

Following its departure from downtown Nashville in May 2022 and a period in temporary offices, the TBA has found a new permanent home. The new building, officially closed on June 4, is located in the heart of Nashville’s West End Avenue corridor, providing convenient access and ample parking for members. Over the next six months, interior renovations will be planned to create modern office spaces, a state-of-the-art multimedia studio and a cutting-edge CLE and seminar classroom. The TBA is expected to begin operations at the new location in early 2026. In announcing the acquisition, TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. said, “The Building Committee has worked tirelessly for the last few years to find TBA’s new home and I’m grateful for their time and expertise. This new space will help us meet the changing needs of our members as we look to the next several decades of practicing law in Tennessee.” Former TBA President Jim Barry, president of The Tennessee Legal Community Foundation (TLCF) — which purchased the building — said, “This investment ensures that TBA has a long-term home to serve our members and the broader legal community. The new space will facilitate top-notch legal education, member engagement opportunities and a stronger sense of community in our profession.” Special thanks to the committee of TBA leaders, members and real estate professionals whose thoughtful and comprehensive search led to the successful acquisition of this new home for your state bar association.

The TBA Criminal Justice Section recently hosted a unique and successful murder mystery CLE. Led by Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) professors Melanie Ried and Syd Beckman, LMU Law students played characters in a 1920s themed event where participants used Tennessee’s latest criminal laws to unravel the mystery and bring the killer to justice. The winning team consisted of lawyers Jade Peters, Nicholas Poe-Jones and Tim Fowler. Keep your eyes peeled for more fun events to come from the TBA Criminal Justice Section. View photos from the event here.

The Estes Kefauver Federal Building and Annex in downtown Nashville has been approved for sale by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after a report recommended closure of the aging office building. The Tennessean reports that the building is one of 11 federal properties across the U.S. recommended for closure by the Public Buildings Reform Board. The building currently houses the Nashville offices of the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Veterans Affairs, though the building is only about 66% leased. The Annex is about 77% leased. The building served as Nashville's federal courthouse until the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse opened in 2022 on Church Street.

Chattanooga attorney Patrick Bryant Hawley reached a plea deal in connection with a sex crimes case involving a 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl and is expected to register as a sex offender, reports the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors dismissed six other criminal counts involving animal crushing, coercion, enticement and the receipt, possession and distribution of child pornography. Hawley was temporarily suspended from the practice of law in November 2024.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is currently accepting applications to fill a vacancy in the 20th Judicial District for a criminal court judge following the retirement of Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn on May 31. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee, be at least 30 years old, have been a state resident for at least five years and reside in the judicial district. Public hearings for the position will be held July 31 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Cordell Hull Building, Senate Hearing Room 1, 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Nashville 37243. Applications must be received by the commission by June 27 at noon CDT. For more information, contact Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson.

A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court ruling that a law cutting in half the size of Metro Nashville's City Council is unconstitutional. Axios Nashville reports that if the panel's 2-1 decision stands, the council would be reduced to 20 members for the 2027 election. In 2023, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law that reduced the council's size from 40 to 20 members. In 2023 and again in 2024, a court placed an injunction on that law finding it to be unconstitutional under the state's Home Rule amendment, which prohibits legislation that specifically targets one local government. The state appealed. The city could seek a review of this latest decision from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Read the ruling and the dissent.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed HB1376/SB1413, introducing strict new regulations on Tennessee’s hemp industry effective Jan. 1, 2026. The law bans THCA and synthetic cannabinoids, prohibits direct-to-consumer sales, and limits all hemp-derived cannabinoids — other than Delta-9 THC — to a maximum concentration of 0.3%. The Commercial Appeal reports that oversight of these products will shift from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which will enforce new packaging, age, licensing, taxation and marketing rules. Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, who sponsored the bill, said during debate, “We have a situation here in Tennessee where we are essentially dealing with unregulated recreational marijuana ... It’s the wild west out there.” Critics have warned that the law could hurt small business and local farmers, like this business in Clarksville, which spoke to News Channel 5.

Knox County prosecutors on Monday dropped all attempted murder charges against Ahmad Gatlin after recently discovered cell phone data corroborated his claim that he was across town when the crime was committed. Gatlin was convicted in 2023 after police and prosecutors argued he was in a car when shots were fired into another car near Austin-East Magnet High School in 2021. Knox News reports that Gatlin's defense team had argued for a new trial on the grounds that the prosecutors initially withheld evidence, including metadata from Snapchat that would have proven Gatlin's location. Prosecutors said the data was withheld in error. In a press conference after Gatlin's release, defense attorney Stephen Johnson stated, “[Ahmad] saw justice today for the first time in over four years ... We are honored to have helped bring him home.” WBIR has the story.