Editors of the USA TODAY Network in Tennessee write in the Daily News Journal that Rutherford County needs new leadership and a new philosophy on the juvenile court bench. They call on Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport to resign and not seek re-election in 2022. They also call for accountability for others in the juvenile justice system who allegedly used tactics that harmed hundreds of children over many years. The paper cites recent reporting by Nashville Public Radio and ProPublica as the basis for its position.

Callon Schmid, a former legislative liaison for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, has joined Butler Snow’s Regulatory and Government Group, the Nashville Post reports. She led the governor’s efforts related to the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees and the House Criminal Justice and Civil Justice committees. She previously was assistant director of constituent services and community relations for former Gov. Bill Haslam. Schmid holds degrees from Auburn and American universities.

With two special sessions in the rear view mirror, state lawmakers are turning their attention to Gov. Bill Lee’s use of sole-source contracts, Tennessee Lookout reports. Of particular concern is a contract with McKinsey & Co. for a study on streamlining government. State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, has asked the governor’s office for a copy of the contract. According to Gardenhire, who chairs the Fiscal Review Committee, the panel is looking at reforms to the bidding process and possibly asking the state comptroller to conduct random audits of such contracts. Other no-bid contracts signed during the pandemic involved a review of COVID-19 protocols and the purchase of masks, personal protective equipment and COVID-19 tests.

The 10th annual Clio Cloud Conference will take place in Nashville next year! The event, planned for Oct. 10-11, will be held in-person at the Gaylord Opry Resort and Convention Center. A virtual option also will be offered. The conference has been held virtually for the last two years. Discounts will be available to TBA members closer to the event. There are also grant opportunities for those who need financial assistance. Learn more about the conference or check out the company’s practice management services available to TBA members at a discount.

Gov. Bill Lee’s administration today announced it has earmarked $400 million of the American Rescue Plan to provide services to people with disabilities, the Tennessee Journal reports. The spending plan was developed by the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and TennCare. It aims to provide home and community-based services for those in need and strengthen the frontline workforce that delivers those services.  

Tennessee Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Bill Lee yesterday asking him to veto four bills passed during the General Assembly’s most recent special legislative session, WSMV reports. The letter from the Joint Minority Caucus urged Lee to veto Senate Bill 9014 regarding COVID-19 unemployment benefits, House Bill 9076 giving the governor power to issue executive orders and direct health departments during the pandemic, Senate Bill 9008 which allows for the temporary replacement of district attorneys who refuse to enforce certain laws and House Bill 9072 which allows partisan school board elections. Lee on Monday resisted stating his stance on the legislature's rollback of COVID-19 restrictions in the state, the Tennessean reports, instead saying his administration still needs time to review the package of bills.

Nashville lawyer Stephen Kenneth Rush passed away on July 22 after complications from a fall at his home. He was 79. After serving in the Navy, Rush earned his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. He went on the practice law in Nashville for the remainder of his life, especially enjoying working in international affairs, music and copyright law. A celebration of life was held for Rush in July in Nashville. Donations can be made in his memory to Woodmont Christian Church, 3601 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215.

The U.S. Senate this week confirmed Vermont Supreme Court Justice Beth Robinson to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New York, the ABA Journal reports. Her appointment marks the first openly LGBTQ woman to serve on a federal appeals court. Robinson was counsel to Vermont’s governor and a civil litigator at Langrock Sperry & Wool before she began her time on Vermont’s high court in 2011. Twenty-eight of Biden’s federal court nominees have won confirmation so far, which is the most confirmations at this point in a presidency in modern history.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan last week denied a motion that sought to disqualify the county’s District Attorney General’s Office from working on the Pervis Payne death penalty case, the Commercial Appeal reports. Though she denied the motion, Skahan also acknowledged the DA’s office had not complied with the rules of professional conduct regarding written screening measures for attorney Leslie Byrd and gave them 30 days to file such procedure with her court. Attorneys for Payne last month asked Skahan to remove the DA’s office, claiming Assistant District Attorney Steve Jones’ work as a capital case attorney while Payne’s post-conviction proceedings were pending before the court created a conflict of interest. A hearing to determine if Payne is intellectually disabled is set for Dec. 13.  

The Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Tennessee is now accepting applications for membership in its Criminal Justice Act Panel. Members of this panel are attorneys in private practice who are appointed to represent individuals accused of violating federal law who cannot afford private counsel. Applicants must: be in good standing with the federal bar of this District and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals; maintain strong litigation skills and proficiency with federal law procedure; have significant experience in serious criminal litigation and a demonstrated commitment to the defense of people who lack the financial means to hire an attorney; and must maintain a primary, satellite or shared office in the district. Attorneys who lack the experiences stated above may apply to participate in the CJA Fellows mentoring and training program. Applications for either program may be obtained from and returned to Ann Card, Panel Administrator, Office of the Federal Public Defender, 810 Broadway, Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37203. She may also be reached by email or at 615-695-6904.