Williamson County lawyer Bradley Michael Carter was suspended from the practice of law today for two years, with four months to be served on active suspension and the rest on suspension. During the probationary period, Carter must engage a practice monitor, who will submit monthly reports regarding trust account rules and accounting procedures. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Carter entered a conditional guilty plea on July 21.

Louisiana lawyer James Austin Dukes was permanently disbarred from the practice of law in Tennessee today. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action based on an order from the Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana permanently disbarring Dukes in that state. The court reports that it gave Dukes the opportunity to explain why reciprocal discipline should not be imposed in Tennessee, but received no response.

Blount County lawyer Charles David Deas was temporarily suspended from the practice of law yesterday. The Tennessee Supreme Court also ordered him to be evaluated by the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program. Based on information provided by the Blount County Circuit Court and General Sessions Court, the Supreme Court determined that Deas posed a threat of substantial harm to the public. It also said substantial concern had been raised regarding his ability to practice law.

The TBA General-Solo Section will hold its annual Fall FastTrack program virtually on Thursday, Nov. 19. A favorite for general practitioners, the program will feature civil procedure best practices, tips for collecting evidence, tech considerations for small firms and more. Four hours will be offered live on Nov. 19. Attendees then will have access to three webinars custom-tailored to the needs of general-solo practitioners. Participants will also receive eight hours of prepaid credit to use on any of TBA’s online or virtual CLE offerings. Don’t miss this opportunity to secure all of your CLE hours for 2020.

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Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold three phone clinics next week for members of the public with questions about housing and renters’ rights, bankruptcy, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence, SNAP benefits and unemployment benefits. Clinics will take place Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. All times central. LAS is looking for attorneys to help answer questions. To volunteer contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek or call 615-780-7131. See all clinics for the month.

The Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) has been awarded a grant for $484,800 from the Metro Nashville CARES Fund to provide rent assistance through the NCRC’s Civil Mediation Program. NCRC provides free mediation between landlords and tenants in the Davidson County General Sessions Court, and mediators will use the available CARES funds to offer substantial assistance when rent has not been paid at least in part due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. NCRC Executive Director Sara Figal says a “tidal wave of evictions” are on the horizon and calls the funding “absolutely vital for our community.” Figal also says NCRC’s work is beneficial for the tenant and also the landlord. “When NCRC mediators intervene, we help stabilize precarious situations for both landlords and tenants, which has positive ripple effects throughout our communities.”

The 10th Judicial District Recovery Court resumed in-person sessions last month with a graduation ceremony held Sept. 8 — the first in-person session since March 6. Five participants graduated in the ceremony in Judge Andrew Freiberg’s Bradley County courtroom. Freiberg said that the recovery court team decided to keep meeting in-person on the first Tuesday of each month and meet via teleconference on the remaining Tuesdays. “We’re kind of merging and doing a hybrid model,” Freiberg said. “The hope is that by seeing each other at least once a month there is a rapport and a relationship built between us, while also being mindful of safety.” Read more on the AOC’s website.

Attorney General Herbert Slatery and Attorneys General in 27 other states today announced a settlement with Tennessee-based Community Health Systems over a data breach that impacted approximately 6.1 million patients, including 450,000 in Tennessee. Patient’s names, birthdates, social security numbers, phone numbers and addresses were exposed during the breach. The judgment requires a $5 million payment to all states. Tennessee will receive $666,686.77. Additionally, CHS will be required to implement and maintain a comprehensive security program to safeguard patients’ information.

Despite objections from the House and Senate speakers, the Tennessee Historical Commission is set to hear a petition this month to relocate the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust at the state Capitol, the Tennessean reports. The State Capitol Commission in July voted in favor of removing the bust and sent the issue to the Historical Commission for a final vote. However, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton last month said they believe the Historical Commission couldn’t vote on the matter until it is first approved by the State Building Commission. Gov. Bill Lee this week said he believes proper protocol has been followed and a spokesperson for the Historical Commission confirmed yesterday that the bust issue will receive an initial hearing at the commission’s Oct. 16 meeting. 

Three criminal court judges and five sessions court judges from Knox County on Monday filed an order barring any attorney positive for the COVID-19 virus from their courtrooms, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The order comes in response to complaints that a COVID-19 positive attorney recently showed up for a hearing in Blount County, despite being ordered to self-quarantine. That attorney has not yet been named, but is also known to practice in Knox County. The order bans attorneys who test positive for the virus from all courtrooms in the county until they are “no longer contagious or at risk of transmitting” the virus. It also states that attorneys deemed guilty of violating the order will face contempt of court charges and could be “barred from practice” in Knox County’s courts.