Knox County Criminal Court Judge Steve Sword on May 21 dismissed the attempted murder convictions against Ahmad Gatlin, who had been sentenced to 31 years in prison when he was a teenager. Now 20, Gatlin will be granted a new trial due to recently discovered cell phone data that corroborates his claim that he was across town when the crime was committed. Knox News reports that Gatlin was convicted in 2023 after police and prosecutors argued he was in a car when shots were fired into another car near Austin-East Magnet High School in 2021. Knoxville defense attorney Stephen Ross Johnson helped Gatlin's defense team with the challenge and says he is now formally joining the team to represent Gatlin pro bono should the state seek a new trial. According to WBIR, law students from the Wrongful Convictions Clinic at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law also joined the defense team. Director of Clinical Programs and Associate Professor of Law Joy Radice said, “Lawyers representing the poor whose life or liberty are at stake in a criminal case are overworked, chronically underfunded, and often unable to research and obtain critical and effective expert assistance to meet the awesome power of the state or federal government. I am honored that the [clinic] could be a part of helping to fill that gap in Ahmad’s case, as [it] has for over 75 years for so many others."

The reporting staff of the Nashville Banner will receive the Tennessee Bar Association’s 2025 Fourth Estate Award for its reporting last year on the Nashville criminal court system. The award will be presented at the 2025 Lawyers Luncheon set for June 13 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Franklin. Throughout 2024, the Nashville Banner published a series of stories designed to bring transparency and accountability to the Davidson County Criminal Court. Among the issues covered was the court’s decision to remove computers that previously had provided public access to court records, and subsequent changes in the process of how to access those records. In announcing the award, TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. said, “Nashville Banner news staff demonstrated tenacious and courageous reporting last year as they worked to bring visibility to issues impacting the operations of the Nashville criminal court system. We thank them and honor them for that important contribution.” Read more in the TBA’s press release.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) recently partnered with Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands for a successful expungement clinic. The Murfreesboro clinic served 20 clients and expunged 132 charges. Special thanks to Music City (TN) Chapter of the Links Inc for donating the food and TBA YLD District Representatives Morgan Hanna for coordinating the event and Savannah Quintero for her assistance in explaining expungements to the volunteers and clients. See a photo from the event.

The Trump administration will allow the sale of forced-reset triggers, a gun accessory that enables semiautomatic rifles to fire more rapidly, following a settlement announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). According to News Channel 5, the agreement resolves multiple lawsuits and marks a reversal of the federal ban on the devices, which the government had previously classified as illegal machine gun conversion tools. As part of the settlement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) must return seized or voluntarily surrendered triggers. The deal was between the DOJ and Rare Breed Triggers who argued that the ATF was wrong in its classification of forced-reset triggers, and ignored demands to stop selling the triggers before being sued by the Biden administration. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the decision affirms that “the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.” Gun control advocates said the settlement would worsen gun violence.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, on Tuesday introduced a bill that would modify existing immigration law to make individuals ineligible for entry if they intend to come to the United States for the purpose of giving birth to obtain citizenship for their child. “Foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws for far too long, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States for the sole purpose of giving birth to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children,” Blackburn said in a press release. Blackburn’s bill, called the Ban Birth Tourism Act, comes just after the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments related to former President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States without at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.

Stand for Children Tennessee and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) submitted public records requests following the U.S. Department of Justice’s closure of its investigation into the Memphis Police Department earlier this week. According to The Commercial Appeal, the move is part of an effort underway in seven states where the DOJ previously found patterns of civil rights violations but did not secure consent decrees. The public records requests from Stand for Children and the ACLU seek response-to-resistance forms and internal investigation documents dating back to the release of the DOJ’s report. The groups are also requesting policies that were in effect prior to the beating of Tyre Nichols. Similar requests have been filed in Massachusetts, New York, Arizona, Mississippi, Minnesota and Kentucky.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed Tennessee’s $59.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 into law. The spending plan passed with bipartisan support and includes the reallocation of approximately $180 million from the governor’s proposed budget amendment to fund legislative priorities. It also provides an additional $17 million to support the state’s new Plan for Indigent Representation, aimed at improving the legal defense system for Tennesseans who cannot afford an attorney.

Mark your calendars for June 25 for the Dispute Resolution Section's Arbitration & Independent Legal Research webcast. Gail Vaughn Ashworth and Christopher Sabis will present this one hour CLE beginning at 11 a.m. CDT. Get more information and register here.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications to fill vacancies in the 30th Judicial District for a circuit court judge and a criminal court judge, following the elevation of Judge Valerie L. Smith to the appellate bench and the retirement of Judge Paula L. Skahan on June 30. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee, be at least 30 years old, have been a state resident for at least five years and reside in the judicial district. Public hearings for the positions will be held July 16 and 17 at 9 a.m. CDT in the Historic Courtroom, Room 325, at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 1 N. Front St., Memphis 38103. Applications must be received by the Administrative Office of the Courts by June 13 at noon. For more information, contact Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson.

Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin M. Taylor has been named the 2025 County Attorney of the Year by the Tennessee County Attorney Association. The award recognizes Taylor’s leadership, dedication to public service and legal contributions to Hamilton County and the state. He has served as the county’s chief legal advisor since 1994, with expertise in government law, ethical governance and litigation. “Rheubin Taylor embodies the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in county government,” TCAA President Andrew E. Mills said. “His legal acumen and unwavering service have made a lasting impact not only in Hamilton County but across Tennessee.” The TCAA supports county attorneys statewide through education, resources and advocacy to promote effective local governance.