A bill that would have legalized medical marijuana in Tennessee has failed in the state Senate, WJHL reports. Though the bill was recommended for passage by the Senate Government Operations Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee chose not to move forward with SB854 after some lawmakers expressed concerns about its constitutionality. Another medical marijuana bill is still active. SB667 would direct the Tennessee Department of Health to study medical marijuana licensing and regulations in neighboring states.

A bill passed by the Criminal Justice Subcommittee yesterday would create an electronic tracking system for victims and law enforcement to monitor the status of rape kit processing, Tennessee Lookout reports. HB39/SB1035 is sponsored by Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville, and Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, and is scheduled to be considered by the House Criminal Justice Committee next week. The legislation would direct law enforcement agencies, hospitals and labs to participate in the tracking system. The measure also would require law enforcement to pick up sexual assault evidence from a hospital within 48 hours of being notified, and extend the time period for preserving evidence from three to 10 years. Currently, 30 states and the District of Columbia have electronic tracking systems for law enforcement, with 24 states and D.C. also allowing victims to monitor the status.

On Wednesday, the TBA rallied its past, current and future female presidents for a one-hour virtual conversation to share their experiences and war stories and to honor female lawyers who have impacted the profession. The discussion opened with a tribute to the late Judge Pamela Reeves, the first woman to serve as president of the TBA, who was a mentor, leader and friend to so many. “She never forgot those who helped her along the way,” Judge Cynthia Wyrick said. Panelists also shared stories of non-traditional paths to becoming a lawyer; how they overcame challenges; and identified challenges that still exist within the profession. “We’ve come a long way, but one of the biggest challenges is unconscious bias. Women have a different perspective to bring to the table,” Michelle Greenway Sellers said. TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson served as moderator with former TBA presidents Wyrick, Jackie Dixon, Gail Vaughn Ashworth, Kathryn Reed Edge and Marcy Eason; TBA Vice President Tasha Blakney; TBA President-elect Sherie Edwards; and current TBA President Sellers. Watch the program here for free.

Retired Memphis lawyer Leonard V. Hughes Jr. of Germantown died Dec. 9, 2020, at the age of 85. A graduate of the Southern Methodist University Law School, Hughes was initially licensed in the Texas. He became licensed in Tennessee in 1960 and spent 50 years with the law firm of Hoffman, Hughes & McWhorter. Burial was at Memorial Park in Memphis.

The city of Chattanooga recently settled a federal lawsuit filed by the last known rape victim of former city police officer Desmond Logan, the Times Free Press reports. The city council approved a $550,000 settlement after a nearly two-year court battle in which it argued it could not be held liable because Logan was a rogue officer. Logan pleaded guilty to two counts of deprivation of civil rights and was sentenced last year to 20 years in federal prison for multiple rapes while on duty. The Nashville law firm of David Randolph Smith & Associates represented the woman. Attorney Chris Smith argued that the city was responsible because it kept Logan on the job after other women reported him for sexual misconduct and rape. Read more from the firm.

Tennessee lawmakers are getting close to a final vote on a plan to do away with the state’s gun permit requirement, WPLN reports. The House Finance Committee approved the measure today, putting it on track for a floor vote possibly as soon as week. HB786/SB765 has already cleared the state Senate and is being championed by Gov. Bill Lee. Past attempts to delete the gun permit requirement have stalled amid opposition from police, gun control groups and past governors. But Lee has put his full weight behind the proposal, the news station says.

Sequatchie County lawyer Philip Andes Condra was reinstated to the practice of law today after being placed on inactive status May 28, 2014. Condra filed a petition for reinstatement, which the Board of Professional Responsibility found to be satisfactory.

Loneliness can affect anyone, at any age, and the isolating nature of lockdown has meant more and more people are struggling with it. But the good news is that a new study by the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas has found that brief phone calls multiple times a week can reduce loneliness. Chats were just 10 minutes long several times a week for a month. So next time instead of texting a friend, why not pick up the phone and call. It could make a real difference for the person on the other end of the line. Read more about the findings from verywellhealth.com.

A new initiative in Tennessee aims to engage the faith-based community to help find foster care and adoptive parents for children, WKRN reports. At a news conference Monday, Gov. Bill Lee announced the “TN Fosters Hope” program, which will pair the state Department of Children’s Services with two private organizations: Tennessee Kids Belong and Show Hope. The goal of the program is to establish a network of churches to support foster care and adoption needs, recruit families who can care for foster children, and help children find permanent placement through adoption. The governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will lead the collaboration. According to Tennessee Kids Belong, the state has 8,000 children in the foster care system with nearly 350 eligible for adoption.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated McNairy County lawyer Bobby Gene Gray to the practice of law yesterday. Gray was suspended on Jan. 7 for three years, with eight months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation, but the  suspension was ordered to be retroactive to May 1, 2020.