Greene County lawyer Francis Xavier Santore Jr. was immediately suspended from the practice of law after the Tennessee Supreme Court found he posed a threat of substantial harm to the public. The court also directed Santore to undergo an examination by a qualified medical or mental health expert to assess his capacity and fitness to practice law, and execute a written release allowing the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program to share information about his case with the Board of Professional Responsibility. Finally, the court directed Santore to provide a number of items related to previous psychological evaluations.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has transferred the law license of Sevier County lawyer Andrew Nicholas Wilson to disability inactive status. Wilson may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed.

Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims Judge Pamela B. Johnson recently was inducted into the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary’s (NAWCJ) Adjudicators Hall of Fame. Johnson has been active in the NAWCJ since 2014. Criteria for selection in the Hall of Fame includes exemplary service as an adjudicator of workers’ compensation issues, service to the NAWCJ and a record of writing, speaking and advocating for those affected by workplace injuries. Read more about the honor in a press release from the court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has one case set for its Oct. 4 docket. It will hear oral arguments in the case of Gary Wygant and Francie Hunt v. Bill Lee et al. beginning at 9 a.m. CDT at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville. The arguments also will be live streamed on the court’s YouTube page. The case arises from a challenge to the maps of state legislative districts implemented after the 2020 census. Learn more about the case.

The U.S. Supreme Court will begin a new term on Oct. 7. Catch up on what the justices were doing over the summer (think emergency requests, book tours and security threats) with a new episode from Bloomberg Law’s Cases and Controversies podcast. For those interested in a preview of the new term, the American Bar Association will offer a free virtual program on Oct. 1 to explore issues set to be considered, including cases involving election questions, water quality standards, the First Amendment and ghost guns. The court also will take up Tennessee’s law banning gender-related medical care for minors. “On the Docket: Looking Ahead at the New Supreme Court Term” will run from 1-2:20 p.m. EDT. Learn more or register here.

The prosecution in the federal trial against three former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols rested its case earlier today after hearing from its 19th and final witness. The trial began on Sept. 9. The Daily Memphian has a recap of each day of the trial. The Commercial Appeal also reports that the defense filed a motion for acquittal at the conclusion of the government’s case. Judge Mark S. Norris was set to hear arguments on the motion today.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and will mark the occasion with a special event on Oct. 19 at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH). The evening will run from 6:30 to 11 p.m. CDT and feature food, drinks and music by the Soul Shockers. Each attendee also will leave with a special anniversary gift. The deadline to register is Oct. 4. Learn more here and purchase tickets here.

Arizona's program that allows people who are not lawyers to co-own law firms now has more than 100 approved businesses, Reuters reports. In 2020, Arizona became the first U.S. state to eliminate rules barring non-lawyers from having an economic interest in law firms, allowing lawyers and non-lawyers to co-own legal service businesses if approved by the state's Supreme Court. The court earlier this week approved additional applications, including one from online legal services company Rocket Lawyer. Other national legal services businesses such as LegalZoom, Elevate and Axiom previously were approved. Supporters of the program argue that loosening barriers for non-lawyers to hold a stake in legal services firms can make legal advice more affordable, spur innovation and expand access to justice. Critics contend the changes can lead to abuses if providers are not fully bound by professional ethics rules. The article also looks at pilot programs in Utah, Washington State, California and Florida.

Following release of a state investigative report, which found that the Nashville District Attorney’s Office secretly recorded criminal defense attorneys, office employees and visitors, Comptroller Jason Mumpower is calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to determine if any laws were violated. Mumpower made those comments in an interview with NewsChannel 5 after Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he would not prosecute anyone. While Skrmetti said there may have been ethical breaches, he determined that “the facts and law do not provide sufficient basis for a successful criminal prosecution.” District Attorney Glenn Funk has maintained that the recordings were lawful because there is no expectation of privacy within a district attorney's office.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has updated Rule 11 of its rules to reflect the assignment of justices to the state’s various judicial districts. Jeffrey S. Bivins has replaced recently retired Roger A. Page as the justice for Circuit No. 2, which consists of the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 31st Judicial Districts. Mary L. Wagner has replaced Bivins as the justice for Circuit No. 4, which consists of the 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th and 32nd Judicial Districts. The court issued a corrected version of this order on Oct. 8. Read the order.