Gov. Bill Lee has issued the first veto of his six-year administration, on SB455/HB527, which would have given the state parole board more discretion to deny parole to state prisoners. The Tennessean reports that in a letter notifying the Senate and House speakers of his veto decision, Lee stated that the bill would be "a step backwards from safer Tennessee communities" after implementation of the 2021 Reentry Success Act, which had received bipartisan support in the legislature: "Two years later, Tennessee achieved the lowest recidivism rate in state history, meaning fewer crimes and fewer victims. And I am confident that the Board of Parole and other safeguards ensure parole is awarded appropriately." Lawmakers could call themselves back into session to override the veto or move to do so at the beginning of the 2026 legislative session. The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference released a statement expressing disappointment in the veto, saying, "To ignore the gravity and specific facts of an offender’s crime when determining early release eligibility is not only irresponsible, it is dangerous. It disregards the suffering of victims, erodes trust in the criminal justice system, and places our communities at greater risk."

Knox County District Attorney (DA) Charme Allen last week fired Berkley Mason, an assistant prosecutor, after Knox News asked questions about a now-deleted social media account that allegedly contained racist and sexist messages. In a statement about the firing Allen said: "It is imperative that prosecutors in my office be moral, ethical, fair-minded persons who are able to apply the laws of our state justly to each set of facts presented on a case-by-case basis ... [The account's content] undermines my confidence in [Mason's] ability to uphold his oath as a prosecutor to 'administer justice without respect of person and impartially discharge all of the duties incumbent upon (a prosecutor).'" She also announced a review of the cases handled by Mason and "appropriate corrective action if necessary." According to the paper, as of May 2, 28% of the 111 pending cases Mason had been assigned included a minority defendant. It says it based its calculation on a review of booking photos in JIMS, the court’s online database.

TBA members should have received printed membership renewal statements by now, but for those who would prefer to renew online, the web-based portal remains open. Be sure to log into your TBA account and go to the MyTBA dashboard to get started. TBA members enjoy free legal research from vLex Fastcase, savings on a range of products and services, three free hours of CLE credit and access to hundreds of practice management tools through the Law Firm in a Box. Section members enjoy additional savings on CLEs, newsletters relevant to their practice areas and opportunities for leadership and networking. Renew today!

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Knoxville attorney Samantha Ellis to the Tennessee Board of Appeals. This board plays a vital role in resolving employment disputes by hearing appeals related to demotions, suspensions and dismissals of preferred service state employees. As a board member, Ellis will participate in hearings and render decisions on employee appeals, contributing to the fair application of state employment policies and laws. The appointment recognizes Ellis' expertise and dedication to serving her fellow citizens of Tennessee. Ellis is a senior associate attorney at Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall PC and serves on the TBA Young Lawyers Division's Board. She is presently the YLD CLE chair for East Tennessee and will become a member of the YLD Executive Committee in July when she becomes East Tennessee Governor.

Several local bar associations across the state celebrated Law Day last week. The Maury County Bar Association, which held its first Law Day event since 2018, presented General Sessions Court Judge Bobby Sands with the Liberty Bell Award, recognized Agothos Christian School's participation in the Tennessee State Mock Trial Competition and swore in new Assistant District Attorney Jenni Smith. In East Tennessee, the Knoxville Bar Association's (KBA) celebration included remarks from former state Sen. Lamar Alexander and award of the 2025 Law & Liberty Award to Samantha Monday, substance abuse case manager for the Knox County Sheriff's Office. The KBA Barristers Mock Trial co-chairs also recognized Sevier County High School's mock trial team as the district winner from the February competition. The Nashville Bar Association heard from Judge Curtis Collier as the featured speaker and presented two Liberty Bell awards to the Metro Davidson County Office of Conservatorship Management and Brentwood attorney John Day. Finally, Memphis Bar Association President Lauren Stimac spoke during a naturalization ceremony held by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee to welcome new citizens. The Chattanooga Bar Association's event is planned for May 14.

Five Nashville-area nonprofits behind the Eviction Right to Counsel (ERTC) program jointly announced this week that they have secured a $2.4 million allocation in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget recommendation. ERTC is aimed at providing outreach, education and legal aid to qualifying low-income renters facing eviction — the first program of its kind in Middle Tennessee to do so. ERTC is a partnership among nonprofits Legal Aid Society, Nashville Hispanic Bar Association, American Muslim Advisory Council, Rooftop Nashville and Nashville Conflict Resolution Center. The groups recently announced that the program has generated a total financial return of $5.10 for every dollar invested since its launch in July 2022. All low-income Davidson County residents are eligible for the program’s services. Anyone facing eviction who meets eligibility requirements will be provided legal assistance as resources permit. Read more a joint press release from the groups.

The director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the chair of the judiciary’s budget committee recently wrote a letter to leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee to express “significant concerns” about the judiciary’s ability to keep courthouses safe under current resource levels, reports Bloomberg News. The letter notes that the judiciary’s court security budget has been flat for two consecutive fiscal years and that another year at the same level will cause “further reductions to courthouse security” — including to equipment used to restrict certain areas and screen individuals entering courthouses — at a time when threats against federal judges and courthouses are escalating. A report from Reuters found that the families of at least 11 federal judges also have faced threats of violence or harassment. The Trump administration’s choice to lead the U.S. Marshals said in his confirmation hearing that judicial security is his top priority and pledged to seek more resources to protect judges, if needed.

Officials are moving forward with plans for a new federal courthouse in Chattanooga at the Vine Street location, despite city and Hamilton County officials favoring a different site that is not for sale. According to Chattanoogan.com, Mayors Tim Kelly and Weston Wamp said they would prefer the new courthouse be built at the vacant TVA office building site on Broad Street. TVA is currently seeking a new use for the property. The proposed project on Vine Street would replace the nearly 100-year-old Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and accommodate for 40 parking spaces, seven courtrooms and nine chambers. Construction on the new courthouse is scheduled to begin in 2027, with an opening projected for 2030.

CoreCivic has been ordered to pay nearly $28 million after an attack at one of its prisons. Inmate Nathaniel Lake was severely beaten at Crossroads Correctional Center in Montana in 2018. He sued, claiming the attack could have been prevented with more adequate staffing and training for its employees. A federal jury ruled that CoreCivic failed to protect Lake from harm and awarded him a $27.75 million verdict. Brentwood-based CoreCivic said it disagrees with the decision, according to The Tennessean. "We respectfully disagree with this decision, don't believe it reflects the facts of the case, and will appeal it on several legal grounds," CoreCivic spokesperson Ryan Gustin said in a statement. The company has 30 days to file an appeal.

Several drivers in South Nashville were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday night. ICE, working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), made around 150 traffic stops, detained an unknown number of people, and transported some to out-of-state immigration centers, according to the Nashville Banner. Between 40 and 100 individuals — some drivers and some passengers — were brought to an ICE field office off Brick Church Pike. THP said the operation targeted “areas with a history of serious traffic crashes and suspected gang activity” and led to “a few” warrant-related arrests. The Nashville Mayor’s Office told WPLN News that the Metro Nashville Police Department was not involved in the enforcement action.