Students from 15 high schools recently gathered in Columbia to hear two live court cases pending before the Tennessee Supreme Court as part of the SCALES project, which allows students to experience a live proceeding of the state’s highest court. It was the first in-person program since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Judges and lawyers participating in the program included Judge Ryan Durham, Judge Jake Hubbell, Judge Russ Parkes, Maury County Clerk & Master Larry Roe, David Bates, Christian Cahill, Amanda Castillo, Julie Heffington, Patricia A. Jones, Ed Lancaster, Bevin Lyle, Dawn Moore, Patty Sellars, Beth Oschack Tarter and Jason Whatley. The Maury County Bar Association, led by current President Patrick M. Carter, hosted a reception the evening before the event for the group. See photos from the event or watch the livestream of the two cases argued, available here and here.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments completed Supreme Court candidate interviews today and voted to send the names of Sarah Campbell, Kristi M. Davis and Neal McBrayer to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. A total of nine applicants were interviewed by the council yesterday and today at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville as part of the process to fill the court vacancy created by the death of Justice Connie Clark. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the story.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday issued a correction to a November order regarding the Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission. The original order, which named three new members and a new chair, makes reference to a Tennessee Supreme Court rule and section that has since been revised. The new order reflects the appropriate rule and section.

Three new members were today appointed to serve on the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. Barbara Medley with Medley & Spivey in Lewisburg, Sevier County District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn and state Sen. Richard Briggs of Nashville will serve a term that begins Jan. 1, 2022, and ends Dec. 31, 2024. Floyd Flippin was appointed to chair the board and Jennifer S. Hagerman will serve as vice-chair. The terms of Joe M. Looney, Jimmie C. Miller and Sen. Jon Lundberg expire on Dec. 31 and none are eligible for reappointment.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today announced it has reappointed state Rep. Michael Curcio to the Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection for a three-year term. The court also appointed attorneys Junaid Odubeko and Christen Blackburn to the group, both for three-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2024. Stacy Roettger was appointed to serve as chair and Terri Crider will serve as vice-chair of the commission. Julie Bowling and Erin Palmer Polly will step down from the commission in January.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today announced it will reappoint Stephanie Coleman, Jay A. Ebelhar, Lynda Minks Hood and David H. Veile to the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. They are reappointed to a three-year term, beginning Jan. 1, 2022 and expiring Dec. 31, 2024. The court also announced its appointment of Veile as chair of the commission for a one-year term, which expires on Dec. 31, 2022. The commission will elect a vice chair and secretary-treasurer on its own.  

The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Urshawn Miller, who was convicted of the 2015 murder of a convenience store employee in Jackson. A Madison County jury convicted Miller on a variety of charges, including first-degree premeditated murder and first-degree felony murder, for which they imposed the death penalty. After its mandatory review, the Tennessee Supreme Court confirmed Miller’s death sentence. Justice Sharon Lee wrote a separate concurring and dissenting opinion in which she agreed with the high court’s affirmation of the convictions, but dissented from the court’s decision to uphold the death penalty, writing that such a sentence violates Miller’s Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Read the full release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is meeting today and tomorrow at 9 a.m. CST to consider 10 applicants for the open vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court. The council will interview William Blaylock, Sarah Campbell, Kristi M. Davis, Timothy L. Easter, Kelvin D. Jones, William Neal McBrayer, J. Douglas Overbey, Jonathan T. Skrmetti, Gingeree Smith and Jeffrey Usman during the two-day hearing. An eleventh candidate, Robert F. Parsley, withdrew his application for the seat. Anyone may attend the public hearings in the Tennessee Room of the Tennessee State Library and Archives located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North, Nashville, Tennessee 37219. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more information on the event.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has named this year’s “Attorneys for Justice” — the eighth year the court has administered a recognition program to increase the number of attorneys providing pro bono service in the state. Each year, the court honors attorneys performing at least 50 hours of service annually. The court also recognizes law students who perform 50 or more hours of pro bono work during their law school career. That list has not yet been published for 2021. For more information about the program visit https://www.tncourts.gov or contact ATJInfo@tncourts.gov.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has unanimously reinstated the conviction of Jeremy Reynolds for premeditated first-degree murder. The court determined there was sufficient proof of premeditation to support the jury’s verdict, and that the introduction of evidence about gang membership did not warrant a new trial. The ruling reverses the Court of Criminal Appeals, which had overturned the jury’s verdict on the basis that the trial court erroneously admitted prejudicial information about the defendant’s gang affiliation.