Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, that makes cell phone numbers, most addresses and some other information confidential between an arrest and a conviction, Tennessee Lookout reports. The problem the bill seeks to solve, Casada told collegues in March, is lawyers badgering potential clients when their information becomes public in police reports. The bill was changed during consideration to allow more information to become public, but transparency advocates say the law will make it harder for news reporters to verify facts, find sources and tell the non-law enforcement side of the story.

LeAnna R. Wilson began her tenure as clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville on June 1. She succeeds John L. Medearis, who recently retired after serving the judiciary for more than 33 years. Wilson has been Medearis’s chief deputy clerk for the last three years. She previously served in the chambers of Senior U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer and as a judicial law clerk to Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Judge James Curwood Witt Jr. Chief U.S. District Judge Travis R. McDonough administered the oath of office. Read more in a press release from the court.

Legal groups in East Tennessee will hold a virtual pro bono debt relief clinic on June 12. The clinic is available to qualified individuals who live in counties served by Legal Aid of East Tennessee. Volunteer attorneys will conduct initial meetings with clients to discuss their situations and options. Sponsors of the event include Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne Bauknight, the federal bar associations in the Eastern District of Tennessee, Knoxville Bar Association, TBA Young Lawyers Division, Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission and Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. Volunteer here

Pandemic rules are being lifted in courthouse across the state but the Greene County General Sessions Court plans to keep some of its COVID practices in place going forward, the Greeneville Sun reports. The court says it will continue to use Zoom and other virtual technology to handle arraignments and other appearances from the county jail. Remote proceedings also will be conducted from the Greene County Workhouse thanks to a state grant recently obtained by court. Circuit Court Clerk Chris Shepard says the county court system conducted 700 virtual arraignments and hearings last year. “COVID-19 has changed the way so many things are done … The key to safety and saving money, I believe, is looking toward the future of the judicial system, anticipate changes that may be on the way, and most importantly, have the technology and staff in place to handle whatever challenge is next,” he tells the paper.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently held virtual SCALES programs for Tennessee American Legion Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary Volunteer Girls State participants. The session for Boys State included a welcome message from Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and then delegates watched and discussed the virtual oral arguments in State of Tennessee v. Robert Allison, which involved money-laundering charges. The case was decided by the court in January. The session for Girls State delegates included an hour-long question and answer with the court’s three female justices. The discussion tackled many issues of the day, including how the courts operated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of judges in protecting voting rights and the concept of “rule of law.” The SCALES program is designed to help students understand the role of the courts.

Federal and state regulators have filed to intervene in a suit alleging that Curo Health Services falsely claimed patients were eligible for Medicaid or Medicare benefits when they were not terminally ill. A federal investigation into the claims based on whistleblower testimony has moved silently through the courts for nearly a decade, The Tennessean reports. The suit claims that some departments of Curo, including Avalon Hospice — which has locations across the state — knowingly submitted false claims for hospice services for ineligible patients since at least 2010. It also alleges Avalon concealed the obligation to repay overpayments for those services. The governments are asking for damages of at least three times the amount falsely claimed and an additional $10,000 for each false claim.

Lawyers for Pervis Payne appeared in court today after filing a petition saying he is intellectually disabled, WMCA News reports. The legal team also claims investigators mishandled evidence and that Payne’s race was a factor in his conviction. The right to petition the court for a ruling that a death row inmate is intellectually disabled and therefore not eligible for the death penalty was authorized by legislation approved by the state legislature this past session. Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich says nothing they have presented proves his innocence.

A day after a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the D.C. Circuit rejected their effort to resume evictions, a group of landlords has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter, News 5 reports. The group is asking the court to vacate a stay imposed by U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich on her ruling that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its authority in imposing the nationwide moratorium. Though Friedrich found the action unconstitutional, she agreed to delay her ruling from taking effect to allow time for the Biden administration to appeal. The group submitted an emergency application to Chief Justice John Roberts stating that the current order would "prolong the severe financial burdens borne by landlords under the moratorium for the past nine months." The moratorium is set to expire on June 30.

Registration for the in-person TBA Convention in Memphis will close Monday at midnight CDT. After that point, registration will be limited to the virtual experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to join colleagues from across the state for the annual Bench Bar Luncheon, Lawyers Luncheon, and eight hours of CLE credit, including the Bench Bar program, Better Right Now session and Legislative Update. In-person attendees also will enjoy a joint social event with state judges, a group breakfast and the delights of Beale Street and beyond. Get details here.

After a public hearing yesterday, the Trial Court Vacancy Commission has forwarded the names of three candidates to Gov. Bill Lee to be considered for the 19th Judicial District Circuit Court vacancy. Carl Daniel Brollier Jr., Adrienne Gilliam Fry and M. Joel Wallace were chosen by the commission out of six candidates. The 19th Judicial District covers Montgomery and Robertson counties. The vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge Ross H. Hicks. Read more on each applicant on the Administrative Office of the Court's website.