The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Davidson County lawyer John Ryan Poole on Tuesday after finding that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility, misappropriated funds and posed a threat of substantial harm to the public. The suspension requires Poole to immediately stop accepting cases and cease representing current clients by Jan. 6, 2020. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a circuit court judge in the 16th Judicial District, which covers Rutherford and Cannon Counties. The vacancy will be created with the retirement of Judge Royce Taylor on March 3, 2020. Applications should be submitted by noon CST on Jan. 7. The commission will hold a public hearing on Jan. 29 at 9 a.m. CST at the Historic Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro to consider the applicants. A vote to forward three names to the governor is expected to occur immediately following the hearing. Learn more online or download the notice.

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Memphis Area Legal Services will hold its Attorney of the Day Clinic tomorrow from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Volunteer attorneys will be in Room 134 of the Judge D’Army Bailey Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., to meet with pro se litigants and provide advice, counsel and referrals. Clients are seen on a first-come first-serve basis.

Keep some motivational chocolate in your office for those days when everyone seems stressed. Several chocolate brands have motivational messages on or inside the wrapper. “You rock,” “way to go” or “you slay” may be just what someone needs to hear. And they may find encouragement for a more positive attitude with messages such as “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” Having a treat at your desk also will encourage coworkers to get out of their chair, walk around a bit and take a short break — all good ways to deal with a stressful day. How you feel affects your health and work performance. So grab some chocolate (in moderation!) and feel empowered.

Decommissioned Metro Nashville police officer Andrew Delke has been granted a request to appeal for a change of venue for his upcoming trial, News Channel 5 reports. Delke has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Daniel Hambrick. Judge Monte Watkins denied Delke’s original request last month, but yesterday granted Delke and attorney David Raybin the opportunity to appeal that decision to the state appellate court. Raybin argues that Delke will not receive a fair trial as most Nashvillians have already made up their minds about him. The trial is scheduled for next March.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has written Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a letter saying his county will continue to resettle refugees because of a “moral obligation” to do so, the Commercial Appeal reports. Harris penned the letter in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order in September that allowed state and local governments to decide if they would continue to accept refugees for resettlement. “We are delighted that Shelby County has and continues to be in a position to offer safety to displaced refugee families from around the globe,” Harris wrote. “For these reasons and more, Shelby County would be honored to continue to welcome refugees.” The letter is scheduled to be mailed tomorrow.

Curtis Flowers, a Mississippi man who was tried six times by the same prosecutor for the murder of four people, was granted bail on Monday, NPR reports. Flowers’ conviction in his sixth trial was overturned earlier this year by the U.S. Supreme Court, which found the prosecution had unconstitutionally excluded black jurors from the trial. After 22 years on death row, Flowers’ bail was set at $250,000 and he will be required to wear an electric monitor. His legal team said they will move for dismissal of all charges in the new year, while Mississippi District Attorney Doug Evans, who prosecuted all six trials, hasn’t said if he’ll try Flowers for a seventh time.

Two years after a local non-profit removed Confederate monuments from two public parks it purchased from the City of Memphis, ownership of those statues has been transferred to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Commercial Appeal reports. The city sold the parks in 2017 to Memphis Greenspace Inc., a non-profit that promised then Gov. Bill Haslam it would relocate the monuments after removing them. The city’s Chief Legal Officer Bruce McMullen today confirmed the deal, saying the transfer of ownership of the statues happened a few days ago and upheld the promise Greenspace made to Haslam. The Sons of Confederate Veterans spent two years fighting an unsuccessful legal battle against the sale, which ended in October after the state Supreme Court opted not to hear the case. Details of the new arrangement have not been released.

The Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals (TARCP) held its 15th Annual Recovery Court Conference recently in Franklin and honored two judges and two state legislators for their work helping people with substance disorders. Sumner County General Sessions Court Judge James Hunter and 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge James G. Martin III were awarded the 2019 Making a Difference Award. Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, and Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton, were given the Rod Bragg Recovery Hero Award. The ceremony was dedicated to former TARCP award winner and longtime recovery court and Coffee County General Sessions and Juvenile Judge Tim Brock, who died in November. The Tennessee State Courts website has more on the ceremony and honorees.