The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today denied a motion by two chapters of the National Association of Realtors to stop a new eviction moratorium issued by the Biden administration on Aug. 3. The move comes after a federal district judge also kept the ban in place last week. The three-judge panel acted without recorded dissent and did not provide a detailed explanation for its ruling, Politico reports. The realtors group says it will file an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court immediately. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently granted review to four cases. The latest issue of the Raybin Supreme Court Hot List reviews the cases, which raise issues involving comparative fault, expungements, forgery convictions and the Drug Free School Zone law.

Dandridge lawyer and judge Alfred Benjamin “Ben” Strand Jr. died Wednesday. He was 81. A 1967 graduate of the Cumberland School of Law, Strand practiced law for more than 40 years. From 1975-1976, he served as circuit court judge and from 1998-2014, served as Jefferson County General Sessions, Juvenile and Probate Court judge. He received the McCain-Abernathy Memorial Award in 2009 and the President’s Award in 2014 from the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges for his outstanding service as a juvenile judge. Strand also was active in the TBA’s high school mock trial program, helping field teams from Jefferson County High School and Mountain Youth Development Center. Visitation will be tomorrow from 3-6 p.m. EDT at the First Baptist Church in Dandridge. The funeral will follow. A graveside service will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT at Hillcrest Cemetery in Dandridge. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Dandridge or to the Dandridge Memorial Library.

Former TBA president and Memphis lawyer Bill Haltom will sign copies of his new book “Sears Crosstown in Memphis: From Catalogues to a Concourse” on Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. CDT. The event, sponsored by Burkes Books, will be held at the Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis 38104. Haltom writes about the history of Sears Crosstown, the warehouse and distribution center for the company’s mail-order empire. The building was vacated in the 1980s and for decades it remained shuttered until a group of Memphians decided to resurrect the space with a plan most thought was impossible.

Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Loyce Lambert-Ryan will start testing e-filing on Sept. 1 with the goal of minimizing courtroom traffic and expediting services for the county residents. For now, filings will be limited to motions and documents that are not privileged. Tennessee licensed attorneys may register to gain access to the portal. For more information call the court at 901-222-3500 or email efiling-inquiries@shelbycountytn.gov.

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals last week upheld the guilty verdict and death penalty for Lmarcus Davidson, believed to be the ringleader of the 2007 murders of Christopher Newsom and Channon Christian, WATE reports. The court found that while some mistakes did happen during Davidson’s trial and appeal, they did not find enough reasons to grant a new trial or change the punishment. The court agreed that Davidson’s defense team should have requested a change of venue after extensive media coverage of the case, but that Davidson failed to demonstrate he was prejudiced by the deficient performance. The court also agreed that the jury should have heard testimony from a related case that another individual killed Newsom, but said the mistakes were “harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Gov. Bill Lee took to Twitter to respond to a suggestion from the Biden administration that his executive order requiring opt outs for school mask mandates could violate federal law. Lee tweeted, "Regarding the Biden Administration letter: Parents know better than the government what’s best for their children." News Channel 5 has the story. In related news, a group of about 90 Tennessee doctors joined a public video conference today to urge Lee to reverse his executive order, while another 5,500 medical professionals signed an open letter imploring Lee to reverse course. The Tennessean reports on those efforts.

Williamson County Juvenile Court Judge Sharon Guffee has announced she will seek re-election in the May 3, 2022, primary, Williamson Herald reports. Guffee was first elected to the post in 2014 after serving in various judicial capacities in the county juvenile court system since 2004. Prior to that, she prosecuted crimes against children as an assistant district attorney general for the 21st Judicial District. She also worked on the county’s Child Protective Investigative Team and served as a founder and board member of the 21st Judicial District Drug Court (now known as Recovery Court). She currently serves on the governor’s Juvenile Justice Reform Implementation Council and the legislative committee for the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

The personal injury law firm of Morgan & Morgan, with offices in Memphis, Murfreesboro and Nashville, is offering to pay $100,000 to one lucky person who writes the best “catchy, unforgettable jingle that pairs well with fighting for justice,” the ABA Journal reports. “I want a unique and special sound” for the firm said partner John Morgan. The “Battle of the Jingles” asks amateur musicians to write an original song. It must contain the firm’s slogan, “For the people,” and at least one of three other phrases. The entrant must perform the song on video and post it on social media. Get full contest rules. Entries are due Sept. 26.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 12 attorneys this week for failure to pay the annual registration fee. Nine of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the Aug. 18 fee suspension order and 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.