A trial date for the two men accused of fatally shooting Memphis rapper Young Dolph in 2021 has been reset for Sept. 23, the Commercial Appeal reports. The trial, originally set for March, was to have started today in Memphis. In extending the date, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Mitchell said, "I was extremely upset when the lawyers came to me, asking for a motion to continue this case. I was really anxious to get this case over and done with starting this week, but they both expressed to the court the desire to get experts in. So I allowed the continuance to occur." Mitchell also set a new date of Aug. 9 for oral arguments over expert witnesses.

Former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton has been appointed by Metro Nashville to lead an investigation into the Metro Nashville Police Department after details of a 61-page complaint by a former lieutenant were made public, the Nashville Banner reports. The complaint, a copy of which was obtained by WPLN, alleges a lack of accountability, inconsistent enforcement of policies, interference with investigations and biasing outcomes in favor of higher-ranking officers. Stanton, who served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee from 2010-2017 and is now an attorney in the Memphis office of Butler Snow, has overseen a number of other critical investigations. In 2018, a federal court appointed him as a monitor of the Memphis Police Department following violations of the city’s consent decree. In 2022, he was appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to investigate the state’s death penalty protocols.

Nashville Public Radio reporter and producer Meribah Knight will receive the TBA’s Fourth Estate Award for her podcast series “The Kids of Rutherford County,” which brought to light abuses in the juvenile court system in Rutherford County. The award, which was established to recognize and encourage journalists who promote public understanding of the rule of law and improvements in our system of justice through their vigorous exercise of their First Amendment rights, will be presented at the TBA Annual Convention in Memphis on June 14 during the Lawyers Luncheon. Read the TBA's full press release.

Can't join us for the full TBA Convention later this month? Or maybe you need to add a guest ticket? Individual tickets are available for purchase for Thursday's Public Service Breakfast, University of Tennessee College of Law Breakfast, University of Memphis School of Law Breakfast, Bench Bar Luncheon, Legal Community Reception and Dinner & Entertainment with the judges; as well as Friday's Lawyers Luncheon. Buy tickets here now through June 9. Tickets to individual CLE programs will be available for purchase on site at the TBA registration desk in the Peabody Hotel.

Did you miss the TBA Women in the Profession Committee's well-being webcast in April? If so, then join colleagues tomorrow for a rebroadcast at noon CDT. The speaker for this one-hour webcast will use research associated with increased alcohol and drug use; increased stress, anxiety and depression; and feelings of isolation to provide real world strategies to achieve wellness while facing daily professional challenges. Sign up for "Shift Happens — Surviving the Law Profession."

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has selected Kandiss Brown as its 2024 CASA Volunteer of the Year. During the four years that Brown has volunteered with CASA of Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, she has won praise as a dedicated volunteer who never hesitates to take on a new case, regardless of its level of complexity. "Mrs. Brown conducts each investigation in a professional manner without letting emotions overcome her judgement," CASA Executive Director Michelle Childs said in her nomination of Brown. The CASA Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented at the YLD Board’s annual dinner on June 14 in Memphis as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention. Read more in the TBA's press release.

Two former Erlanger Hospital executives, Chief Compliance Officer Alana Sullivan and Chief Financial Officer Britt Tabor, in April 2021 filed a lawsuit against Erlanger, which recently was unsealed. The suit claims that the Chattanooga-based hospital is paying physicians well above their fair market value in exchange for referring patients, according to News Channel 9. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says it will intervene in the suit with regard to claims that the hospital violated the Stark Law, a federal anti-kickback statute that also prevents giving favored treatment to physicians.

In response to a May 7 lawsuit filed by special prosecutor and Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from her position, a Memphis judge has set two court dates. The Daily Memphian reports that Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson has scheduled the ouster trial for Aug. 31, but has set a hearing for June 25 to determine whether Halbert should be suspended pending the trial's outcome. If the outcome of the hearing is that Halbert remains clerk at least up to the August trial, Wamp and the prosecution could also change how they present their case. “The standard is very, very high for removal. We have to make sure we have the proof for both the suspension hearing and the trial,” Wamp said. Darrell O’Neal, representing Halbert, has filed a motion to dismiss the case saying that "mere negligence" is not grounds for dismissal and Halbert is being targeted politically.

Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel has appointed retired federal judge Bruce Guyton as deputy chief to oversee the department's Office of Professional Standards, reports the Knoxville News Sentinel. Noel created the position after an internal survey showed widespread dissatisfaction with communication from leadership, paths to promotion and that nearly every Black employee had experienced discrimination. Guyton, who has filled the role on an interim basis since July 2023, is tasked with creating, instilling and enforcing standards of conduct. Before taking on the interim deputy chief role, Guyton was a U.S. magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee for 20 years until he retired in 2022.

The Chattanooga Bar Foundation recently announced its class of 2024 Fellows. They are Cathy Dorvil with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel; Ellie Hill with Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway; Laura Ketcham with Miller & Martin; Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Rob Philyaw; Carrie Brown Stefaniak, law clerk for Judge Curtis L. Collier with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Kara West, Chapter 13 trustee for the Southern Division of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Chapter 12 trustee for the entire Eastern District of Tennessee. Read more about the new fellows from Chattanoogan.com.