While the overall number of juvenile court cases transferred to adult court in Shelby County and Memphis has decreased, new data shows that virtually all of the juveniles transferred are Black, the Daily Memphian reports. The data, released by the juvenile court, shows that 97.8% of all juvenile transfers in 2019 and 2020 were Black. That trend has continued into 2021, with 22 of 24 transfers being Black. In 2020 and so far in 2021, the overall number of transfers dropped, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but reform advocates say the number is still too high and more should be done to avoid transferring a child to adult court. Only 10 juveniles in Nashville and Davidson County were transferred to adult court last year. Administrators say that low number is a result of taking a restorative justice approach that pairs kids with community services and resources instead of prosecution.      

Retired Anderson County judge Jennings Bryan Meredith died Sunday. He was 81. Jennings, a U.S. Air Force veteran, earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He returned to Anderson County where he practiced law for 12 years before becoming a judge in the General Sessions court. He served 22 years on the bench until his retirement. Meredith’s family will receive visitors on Thursday from 5 until 7 p.m. EDT at the First Baptist Church in Clinton, 225 N Main Street, Clinton, TN 37716. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to First Baptist Church Christian Service Center.

Three lawyers have recently been reinstated after being suspended for failure to complete required CLE hours. See the full list of those suspended and reinstated in 2021 for 2020 violations. The TBA also has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended Knox County lawyer Grace Ingrid Gardiner from the practice of law for three years, with four months of active suspension and the remainder on probation. A hearing panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) found five areas in which Gardiner failed to comply with rules of the Bankruptcy Court, violating Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1 (competence), 1.3 (diligence), 3.3 (candor toward the tribunal), 5.3 (responsibilities regarding nonlawyer assistants) and 8.4 (misconduct). Gardiner must pay $2,391.03 to the BPR to cover costs of the disciplinary hearing and comply with Supreme Court rules regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement.

Whether it’s fictional lawyers in film or real lawyers who represent celebrities, a ton of these characters have committed ethical violations. Join "the CLE Performer" Stuart Teicher as he explores the misdeeds of the real and fake lawyers of Hollywood. "The Bad Lawyers of Hollywood: An Ethics Program" is a webcast on Sept. 30. 

Jim Cheek III, one of the country’s top corporate and securities lawyers and a Bass Berry & Sims mainstay for more than five decades, died Friday. He was 78. Cheek, a Nashville native who earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University after graduating from Duke University, joined Bass in 1970. The firm is collecting condolences and tributes for the Cheek family via tributes@bassberry.com. Details about visitation and services have not yet been finalized. Read more about his career from the Nashville Post.

A 48-page report filed last week by a three-person hearing panel from the Board of Professional Responsibility outlines what it says are a series of ethical violations by Nashville lawyer Brian Manookian, the Tennessean reports. Manookian faces possible disbarment for threats and perjury that led to a mother temporarily losing custody of her child. Manookian, who has denied wrongdoing, argues that the incidents reported by the panel have no bearing on his work as a lawyer and do not fall under the board's purview.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has selected members to serve on the House’s redistricting committee. According to a news release reported by the Associated Press, Sexton’s office on Thursday said the committee will include eight Republicans and four Democrats. Deputy Speaker Curtis Johnson, R-Clarksville, will chair the committee, and Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh, R-Shelbyville, will be the committee’s vice chair.

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Ryan Spitzer to serve as circuit court judge for the 7th Judicial District, filling the position held by Donald R. Elledge before his retirement. The appointment is effective immediately, the Administrative Office of the Courts said in its announcement. Spitzer formerly served as an assistant district attorney general for the 7th Judicial District, which covers Anderson County. 

Two Shelby County families have filed a lawsuit stating the executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates violates the American with Disabilities Act, NewsChannel 11 reports. Filed Friday, the lawsuit names Gov. Bill Lee and Shelby County as defendants and two Shelby County students, represented by their parents, as the plaintiffs. Earlier last week Shelby County filed suit against the governor, calling for Executive Order No. 84 to be revoked under 14th Amendment protections. It argues that children who are not eligible for the vaccine have no protection against exposure to students infected with COVID-19, “potentially causing them to suffer fear, uncertainty and possibly even death.”