Clarksville attorney Sharon Massey Grimes has been appointed to the Montgomery County General Sessions and Juvenile Court to fill the unexpired term of her late husband Judge Ray Grimes, who died in November. The Montgomery County Commission chose Massey Grimes out of five candidates who applied for the position. She will stand for election in 2022. Commenting on the appointment, she said, “I want to continue the work he [Grimes] had been doing,” including overseeing the local drug recovery court. A 1998 graduate of the Nashville School of Law, Massey Grimes first joined the law firm of McMillan & McMillan. In 2000, she launched a solo practice, which she operated for the past 20 years. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more about her appointment.

Gary Wade, the former dean of the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, has joined Knoxville-based health care law firm London Amburn, the Daily Times reports. He had told school administrators in September 2019 that 2020 would be his last year at the school. Wade has served as a private attorney, alderman and city law director, in addition to his more than nine years on the Tennessee Supreme Court, including two years as its chief justice, and 19 years on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, eight of those as the presiding judge. He led Duncan Law for five years.

State prosecutors said Friday they will not seek the death penalty for Megan Boswell, instead focusing on life in prison without parole for the teenager charged in the death of her 15-month-old daughter. Charges against Bowell include two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated child abuse and one count of aggravated child neglect. The prosecutors explained the rationale, citing a state Supreme Court decision that imposing the death penalty on an 18-year-old defendant without a record and only one aggravating factor, is disproportionate and not a valid penalty. Boswell was found to have one aggravating factor related to her age and the age of the victim. Her next court date is set for May 14, WKRN reports.

The U.S. Justice Department’s inspector general is opening an investigation into whether any current or former department officials tried to improperly “alter the outcome of the 2020 Presidential Election.” The move today comes on the heels of a revelation that then-President Donald Trump considered replacing Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen with someone more amenable to claims of voter fraud. According to The Washington Post, Trump abandoned the plan after department officials threatened a mass resignation. IG Michael Horowitz already was examining the “abrupt departure” of Atlanta U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak, whom Trump criticized for not doing more to find election fraud in the Georgia presidential election.

This year’s Law Tech CLE will be offered virtually over three days in February. The third installment, set for the morning of Feb. 12, will feature Memphis attorney Carol Chumney, Regions Bank attorney Ryan Nevin and University of Memphis Law School professor Steve Mulroy, who will discuss the technology used in elections, including the safeguards and fallibilities of these systems. The one-hour program will begin at 11 a.m. CST.

The Tennessee General Assembly approved a $160 million package of bills last night and this morning aimed at tackling student learning loss during the pandemic, the state's stagnant literacy rates and how schools will handle standardized testing after a year of academic disruptions. The education initiatives, introduced by Gov. Bill Lee, were finalized in a four-day special session, the Tennessean reports. Critics argued that the action was being taken too hastily. Republican leaders countered that the issues being addressed were urgent and deserved quick consideration.

The Tennessee Supreme Court held for the first time today that lawyers who make unethical statements may receive harsher discipline if they choose to post those statements publicly on social media. In the case In Re: Winston Bradshaw Sitton, BPR#018440, the court found that Nashville attorney Winston B. Sitton posted comments on Facebook with instructions on how to shoot someone and make it look like self-defense. The comments were made in response to a question about state firearms law. The Board of Professional Responsibility recommended that Sitton’s law license be suspended for 60 days. The court rejected that recommendation saying it was too lenient. It instead imposed a suspension of four years, with one year to be served on active suspension and the rest on probation. Justice Sharon Lee filed a separate opinion saying she agreed with the sanction but did not believe the court had authority to review the hearing panel’s record. Read more about the court's action or download the BPR release.

Former state Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, is joining the state Department of Commerce and Insurance as a senior advisor, the Tennessee Journal reports. Tracy gave up his senate seat in 2017 when President Donald Trump appointed him as a state director for USDA Rural Development in Tennessee. Other staffing changes at the department include Jennifer Peck, who assumes the role of chief of staff and chief operating officer, while continuing in her role as deputy commissioner. Prior to joining the department, she was the owner of Peck Legal Group, which specialized in domestic relations litigation and mediation. In addition, Patrick Merkel was promoted to director of insurance after having served as chief counsel for Insurance, Securities and TennCare Oversight. He first joined the department in 2007, working with the Division of Regulatory Boards and as chief counsel for Fire Prevention and Law Enforcement. He previously was in private practice.

A Nashville judge's own admissions, made during a contentious divorce, may lead to an ethics investigation, WSMV reports. The alleged comments made by Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Kelvin Jones during a sworn deposition include claims that he said he buried $100,000 cash in his backyard to hide it from the state and creditors; falsely claimed a particular lawyer was going to represent him; accessed his then-wife’s work emails looking for evidence; deposited small amounts of money in multiple bank accounts to avoid suspicion; and impersonated a man to get a hotel to send him a copy of that man’s itemized bill. The complaint was filed by suspended Nashville attorney Brian Manookian, who has faced a number of ethics complaints and disciplinary action. When contacted, Jones’ office said he would have no comment on the allegations.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will hold its next free tax webinar on Jan. 26, the latest in a series of programs being offered to the public. This month’s installment will focus on the resources available on the department’s website. Those attending the webinar will get answers to their questions about state tax law and how best to navigate the department's tax filing website, the Tennessee Taxpayer Access Point (TNTAP). The session will start at 9 a.m. CST. Register here for the January program or see the list of other upcoming webinars.