A Tennessee General Assembly committee yesterday heard testimony from lawyers, sheriffs, judges, criminal justice reform advocates and others on the state’s cash bail system, the Daily Memphian reports. While many suggestions were made to “refine” the system, abolishing pretrial detention or cash bail were not among them. Arguments were made for risk-assessment tools that would determine whether a person should be released pretrial, but some advocates raised concerns about such tools being biased against people of color. Lincoln Memorial University law school Professor Willie Santana questioned the rate of pretrial detention and argued it should be used far less. Santana suggested a “more explicit presumption of release without conditions” and a requirement that all bail hearings occur within 48 hours. The Tennessean also has coverage of the meeting.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended seven attorneys yesterday for failure to pay the annual registration fee. Four of those also were suspended for failing to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order or the IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended for fee and IOLTA violations in 2021 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

Sullivan County lawyer Jason R. McLellan was temporarily suspended from the practice of law on Sept. 9 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. McLellan was suspended after the court found he had misappropriated funds for his own use, posed a threat of substantial harm to the public and failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) regarding a complaint of misconduct. He is precluded from accepting new cases and must stop representing clients by Oct. 9. McLellan must notify all clients, co-counsel and opposing counsel of his suspension and is required to deliver to all clients any papers or property to which they are entitled.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Davidson County lawyer Karl Emmanuel Pulley to the practice of law on Sept. 9 and conditioned reinstatement on engagement of a practice monitor. Pulley also was directed not incur any new complaints of misconduct related to the conduct for which he was suspended. On June 8, the court suspended Pulley for one year, with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the rest on probation.

The Memphis Bar Association will be limiting in-person attendance at its annual Memorial Service to members of the judiciary and those presenting at the Sept. 24 event. Others, including family and friends of the deceased, will be able to watch via livestream beginning at 11 a.m. CDT. Look for more details, including the link to watch, coming soon.

Memphis lawyer Kim Deree Meloni died Sept. 8 at the age of 59. A lifelong Memphian, Meloni earned her law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law and, according to her obituary, worked as a tireless legal defender for neglected and abused children. Visitation will be begin at 9:30 a.m. CDT on Sept. 18 at the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Great Lawn. A memorial service will follow at 10:30 a.m. Dress will be business casual. The family asks that attendees consider wearing a mask. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Memphis Child Advocacy Center or to a charity of one’s choice.

Abortion restrictions signed into law in Tennessee in 2020 will remain blocked after a ruling Friday from a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Tennessean reports. The law, among other provisions, blocks the procedure as early as six weeks or if the doctor knows the patient is seeking an abortion for certain reasons. Less than an hour after Gov. Lee signed the law in July 2020, U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell issued a preliminary injunction. The 6th Circuit has now agreed with him saying a regulation that creates a substantial obstacle to an abortion is invalid. Senior Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey penned the majority opinion. A representative for the Attorney General's Office said it plans to seek further review of the case.

Dr. Anming Hu, the former University of Tennessee professor caught up in an FBI investigation into spying, was acquitted last week by U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan, Knoxnews reports. Hu had faced charges that he hid a dual professorship with a Chinese university. The Justice Department attempted to prosecute Hu twice after indicting him on wire fraud and making false statements. A jury deadlocked on those charges this past summer. In dismissing the case, Varlan said no reasonable jury would infer that holding a professorship at a Chinese university barred Hu from working on federally funded research.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Friday appointed A. Blake Neill to serve as circuit court judge for the 25th Judicial District. Neill immediately fills a vacancy created by retirement of Joe H. Walker III on July 1. Neill was formerly a partner at Matthews, Rhea and Neill. He is a graduate of Union University, Samford University Divinity School and University of Memphis School of Law. The 25th Judicial District covers Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, McNairy and Tipton counties. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Tennessee Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and 72 other state House Republicans are calling for a special session in response to President Joe Biden's newly-announced vaccine policy, the Nashville Post reports. The new policy, to be administered by OSHA, requires companies with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccines or test employees for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. Casada said the group wants the session to weigh the options for challenging the plan. In related news, Tennessee’s top officials, including Attorney General Herbert Slatery, are reviewing the requirement, Mainstreet Nashville reports.