The filing deadline in Hamilton County passed at noon today, resulting in several contested judicial primaries and a contested primary in the race for district attorney. Mike Dumitru and Jim Exum have qualified for the Republican primary in Circuit Court Division 2; Amanda Dunn, Boyd Patterson and Rebecca J. Stern are set to run in the Republican primary for Criminal Court Division 3; and Brian Bush will challenge incumbent Judge Sherry Paty for Division 1 City Court Judge. Republican candidates for Hamilton County District Attorney are Coty Wamp and Neal Pinkston. Read the full list of qualified candidates from the Chattanoogan.

Democratic state lawmakers are considering whether to renew a push for the removal of Rutherford County Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport ahead of her retirement in August, the Tennessean reports. State Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, and state Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, co-sponsored a resolution that sought to oust Davenport after a WPLN and ProPublica report was published detailing the county’s history of illegally arresting and jailing children. Shortly after, Davenport announced she would retire by Aug. 31. Johnson and Campbell say they are waiting to see if any state or federal investigations might lead to Davenport’s departure before deciding whether to put the legislation on notice for House and Senate committees to discuss. Gov. Bill Lee in October had asked the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct to examine the issues with Davenport, but the board said it would not continue to examine a retiring judge. Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, said he doesn’t foresee the resolution being approved, noting that Democrats opposed a Republican effort to remove Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle in 2021.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Feb. 24 will re-hear arguments in two cases that were originally argued last year before the death of Justice Connie Clark. Justice Sarah Campbell, who was recently confirmed to the high court earlier this month, has recused herself from both cases. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, et al. v. Tennessee Department of Education, et al., an interlocutory appeal involving a challenge to Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account Pilot program, will begin at 9 a.m. CST. Special Justice Thomas R. Frierson, II, has been appointed to participate in that case. Immediately following is State of Tennessee v. Tyshon Booker, involving a constitutional challenge to juvenile life sentences. Special Justice William C. Koch Jr. has been appointed to serve on that case. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Calling all super sleuths! Join the TBA for a CLE like you have never experienced before. Kicking off April 1, CL(U)E Knoxville will offer a unique adventure in which you and your team will be tasked with solving a murder mystery, all while learning recent changes to Tennessee criminal law and earning three hours of CLE credit. The interactive experience will take you to some of downtown Knoxville’s most interesting landmarks, where you will solve puzzles, earn clues and engage is a multitude of interactive scenarios that will teach the law and help you solve the murder. Prizes will be awarded to the first three winning teams along with a lifetime of bragging rights. Another CL(U)E event will take place using the same template in Nashville on May 20. Participation is limited and fellow sleuths are “dying” to join, so sign up now using the provided links.

The TBA Legislative Updates podcast is all new with some brief updates on TBA-sponsored legislation. Join TBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Ashley Harbin for the latest from the Tennessee General Assembly. Are you interested in following along with the progress of TBA bills? The TBA’s new Bill Tracker webpage allows you to see a real-time tracking of what’s happening with our legislation. Legislative Updates airs every Thursday on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.  

TBA members will begin voting March 1 for candidates who have qualified to run for vice president of the Tennessee Bar Association. Nashville attorney Ed Lanquist and Franklin attorney David Veile are the two candidates in the race. The winner will ascend to the office of TBA president in 2024. Three attorneys are competing to win the two Middle Grand Division Governor positions: Mary Dohner-Smith, Nashville; Zachary Jones, Fayetteville; and Billy Leslie, Nashville. See a list of all other candidates who have been certified as elected because they did not draw opposition, as well as the information on a board vacancy that will be filled by a board appointment. Additional information on voting, including candidate profiles, will be distributed in advance of the voting period, which runs through April 1.

Tennessee legal groups were honored last month with the 2022 Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access for their work in producing Virtual Debt Relief Clinics. The award, given by the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, was presented virtually at the ABA Mid-Year Meeting. The review committee said the clinic was selected for its focus on increasing legal services to those of modest means and for its innovative use of technology. Since launching the initiative in 2020, the groups have held four clinics in the Eastern Division of the state. Participants include the TBA Young Lawyers Division, Knoxville Bar Association, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne Bauknight attended each clinic to provide an overview of Chapter 7 bankruptcy procedure. Volunteer attorneys were then paired with clients to provide personalized advice in private Zoom breakout rooms. With the success of the initial clinics, the groups plan to expand the service statewide this spring.

Murfreesboro attorney Wayne Irvin has announced his candidacy for Rutherford County Commission District 14, the Murfreesboro Post reports. He maintains a law and accounting practice that focuses on tax, transactions and estate planning. He previously served as a senior assistant attorney general in the office of the Tennessee Attorney General focused on utility rate cases. He is active in the Federalist Society and the Rutherford and Cannon County Bar Association. Irvin says he will focus on increasing transparency in local government, supporting economic and workforce development, and working to improve infrastructure in the county.

Natasha Brooks, who runs The Brooks Academy — a Christian educational consulting firm for homeschool families — has entered the Republican primary for the recently redrawn Fifth Congressional District. She recently sat down with the Tennessee Star to talk about her experience and goals for office. Before incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper announced he would not run for reelection, Brooks was actively campaigning against him. Brooks says her focus will be on improving education, increasing awareness about mental health issues, supporting trade schools, increasing funding for adoption and foster care services and supporting the trucking and mining industries. Learn more about her campaign.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order rescinding requirements for distancing between persons in courtrooms. The order takes effective immediately and applies statewide to all courts and court clerks’ offices, except administrative courts within the Executive Branch and federal courts and court clerks’ offices.