Franklin lawyer Mary Catherine Ross Kelly died Aug. 9 after an extended illness. She was 83. Originally from West Carroll Parish, Louisiana, Kelly relocated to Texas, where she worked as a high school teacher, coach and athletic director. She earned her law degree from Texas A&M in 1994, relocated to Tennessee and opened a solo practice in Franklin. She focused her practice on alternative dispute resolution, family law, elder law, estate planning, trusts, wills and probate. According to her obituary, she also was the first certified Rule 31 Mediator in Willamson County. She received the Williamson County Bar Association’s 2014-2015 Professional Award. Kelly retired from the practice of law in 2016. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. CDT on Friday at New Forest Lawn Cemetery, 2493 Highway 134, Oak Grove, LA 71263. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman has reset the trial date for a lawsuit stemming from the death of Tyré Nichols. The trial now will begin on Nov. 9, 2026, according to the Daily Memphian. It previously was set to begin on July 13, 2026. Monday’s hearing also marked the first time the attorneys in the lawsuit appeared before Lipman, who assumed control of the case after U.S. District Judge Mark Norris recused himself. Attorneys representing Nichols’ family and estate asked for the delay citing a large amount of evidence provided by the city of Memphis that requires a considerable amount of work to organize.

The TBA Creditors Practice Section will hold its annual forum on Oct. 1 in Nashville. The event will kick off with registration at 9 a.m. followed by programming from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and a networking reception from 3:15 to 5 p.m. CDT. Topics to be covered include a case law update, administrative action update, e-filing, AI and the sovereign citizen movement. The program will offer three general and one dual CLE credits. Make plans now to join colleagues in person at the Tennessee Bankers Association’s Bradley L. Barrett Training Center, 211 Athens Way, Nashville, TN 37228! Creditors Practice Section members receive discounted registration. Not a section member yet? Join here.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed sentences in two gun possessions arising from cases in Memphis. In the first ruling, the court upheld a 108-month federal sentence for a Memphis man convicted of possessing a machine gun. In 2024, Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Jaquan Bridges to 108 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Bridges appealed the judgment, arguing that the prosecution violated his Second Amendment right to bear arms. The appeals court upheld the sentence and the constitutionality of the federal statute regulating the possession of machine guns. In the second case, the appeals court upheld a 50-year federal prison sentence handed down to Louis Holloway, who was convicted in 2022 for the attempted robbery and death of University of Memphis student John Stambaugh. Holloway originally was sentenced to life in prison but due to changes in the law, that sentence was vacated. At a resentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Holloway to 50 years in federal prison, the statutory maximum, followed by three years of supervised release. The appeals court affirmed that sentence, holding it was reasonable considering the horrific nature of the offense and Holloway’s serious criminal history. Read more about these cases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

The TBA filed a petition with the Tennessee Supreme Court to amend Rule 9, section 10.1 to allow bar associations geographically located in the state to receive certain information from the Board of Professional Responsibility. The current rule limits public access to certain contact information to protect attorneys’ safety. The TBA unequivocally supports limiting public access to information to protect attorneys and retired judges from harm to their persons and property. In its petition, the TBA is asking the court to clarify that bar associations serve a different role than members of the public for purposes of sharing this information. Read the full petition and the proposed amendment.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Friday that the state will seek federal waivers to update its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to promote healthier eating, improve health outcomes and reduce chronic conditions for low-income families. According to a press release, the proposal would allow recipients to purchase certain hot prepared foods, such as rotisserie or grilled chicken, and would exclude processed foods listing sugar or similar sweeteners as the primary ingredient and carbonated beverages where sugar or similar sweeteners are among the first two ingredients. "I’m grateful to the Trump Administration for its leadership to Make America Healthy Again, and thank our grocery retailers, convenience stores, food producers, and beverage manufacturers for working to ensure that healthier choices reach every community across our state,” Lee said.

A Middle Tennessee man returned to prison Friday after an appeals court reversed a 2023 decision that had overturned his murder conviction and freed him after 17 years behind bars. Thomas Clardy was convicted in 2007 for a 2005 shooting at a Madison auto repair shop that killed a man and injured two, NewsChannel 5 reports. He received a life sentence. But he was released in 2023 and has been living free for two years. His lawyers have long argued that no physical evidence ties Clardy to the crime and prosecutors presented no motive at trial. They also say he was at home with his pregnant wife at the time of the shooting. The state appeals court decision now requires Clardy to complete his life sentence. Clardy’s attorneys have filed two clemency petitions, one for exoneration and another for commutation. He also made a direct appeal to the governor for release before returning to prison.

U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg requesting removal of a newly added Instagram map feature, WSMV reports. The senators said the feature could put children’s safety at risk by exposing their location to predators and traffickers. According to Meta, the map allows users to see a person’s last active location and where content is being posted from, with updates occurring anytime a user opens the app. Content with a location tag is available for 24 hours after posting. The feature requires users to opt in and can be restricted to friends, close friends or selected individuals, or turned off entirely. However, Blackburn and Blumenthal say some users have reported their location information was shared automatically without their consent.

Nashville businessman Darden Copeland has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the upcoming Congressional District 7 primary, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Copeland, founder of Calvert Street Group, a Nashville public affairs firm specializing in referendums and land use campaigns, filed his campaign committee statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on July 24. His announcement comes after weeks of speculation and adds to a growing field of candidates vying to replace U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from Congress on July 20. The primary election is set for Oct. 7, with the general election scheduled for Dec. 2.

Memphis Attorney Stuart Kenneth R. "Ken" Shuttleworth died July 26. After completing his service in the U.S Air Force,  Shuttleworth attended the University of Memphis Law School and in 1972 became the founder and senior partner of the Shuttleworth PLLC law firm in Memphis. In addition to Shuttleworth’s success as a trial lawyer, he was known to help others in the legal profession through the Tennessee Lawyer's Assistance Program (TLAP). He was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to the TLAP Commission, where he served for six years, and for a period of time, served as chair. He also was a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. A private family service will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Stuart, Florida. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Memphis. Donations in his honor may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center or the TLAP Foundation.