A federal grand jury in Memphis returned a superseding indictment last week bringing new charges against three alleged members of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) — Ghost Mob, a criminal street gang, for causing the death of an individual through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee, the charges are the first to be brought as part of the Memphis Violent Crime Initiative. As part of the initiative, the U.S. Justice Department's Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime.

Join us March 27 at 10:15 a.m. CDT for a one-hour webcast featuring the CLE Performer Stuart Teicher, who will make comparisons between air travel and lawyering. There are ways to behave on an airplane, and there are ways not to behave on an airplane, and it’s the same in the practice of law! Learn more about what airplane etiquette can teach us about attorney ethics in this unique course with topics such as the airport and the tribunal (they are both sacred spaces), treating flight attendants with respect, and what to do when your seat mate is a pig. Get details and register here.

The Thomson Reuters Law Firm Financial Index reports that law firms ended 2023 on strong financial footing after a sluggish start. According to Reuters, the index tracks key financial metrics across 173 large and midsize law firms. Fueled largely by rate growth and increased demand for countercyclical work, profits rose year-over-year among both large and midsize law firms in the fourth quarter. Profits-per-equity partner jumped 6% among Am Law 100 firms, 2.5% among Am Law 200 firms and 0.3% for midsize firms. Overall, law firm demand was up nearly 2% year-over-year, but varies significantly by practice area. Lawyer productivity, however, continued its recent slide, with lawyers billing an average 115 hours per month in the fourth quarter of 2023. That is the lowest figure since at least 2005, according to the index.

Jackson attorney Angela Joy Hopson was permanently disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Feb. 9 and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,234 to eight individuals as well as the costs of the disciplinary proceeding. The court took the action after Hopson was found to have violated the Rules of Professional Conduct for misappropriating client money, failing to appear, misleading clients, failing to notify clients of the status of cases, failing to communicate with clients, failing to prosecute cases diligently, charging an unreasonable fee, failing to refund unearned fees, engaging in the unauthorized practice of law while suspended, and failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility. Hopson previously had been temporarily suspended for failing to respond to the board regarding an unrelated complaint. The court dissolved that suspension.

A Shelby County jury convicted the Defendant, William Flynn, of first degree premeditated murder, first degree felony murder, and aggravated assault in concert. For these convictions, the trial court imposed an effective life sentence. On appeal, the Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence and the jury instructions. After review, we affirm the judgments.

A Madison County jury convicted the Defendant, Keenan A. Murphy, of first degree murder and attempted first degree murder. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to an effective sentence of life imprisonment plus twenty-six years. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the proof is insufficient to support the convictions because the State failed to prove premeditation. The Defendant also asserts that the trial court committed plain error by allowing the State to cross-examine the defense expert about a second shooting the Defendant committed nine days after the offenses in this case. On our review, we respectfully affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Petitioner, Larry Johnson, appeals from the Lake County Circuit Court’s dismissal of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus, in which he alleged that he received an illegal sentence. We conclude Petitioner has failed to timely appeal or to follow procedural requirements, and the interest of justice does not require waiver of the requirements. Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed.

SUTTON, Chief Judge. Sanket and Nehaben Patel applied for visas to stay in the United States on a temporary basis. After fourteen months with no news, they sued the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for failing to process their applications. When the agency granted their visas, the Director filed a motion to dismiss the case for mootness and attached an exhibit showing that the applications had been granted. Realizing that she had not filed the exhibit under seal, the Director moved to seal the exhibit shortly thereafter. The Patels accepted one victory (the granting of their temporary visas) and sought another (statutory penalties for the Director’s disclosure of their personal information). The district court granted the Director’s motion to dismiss the case and denied the Patels’ motion for civil penalties. We affirm.

JULIA SMITH GIBBONS, Circuit Judge. Deaunta Belcher was convicted, and sentenced to life in prison, for his participation in a murder-for-hire scheme, hindering the investigation of a federal offense, and for two other offenses. On direct appeal, Belcher raises issues with both his murder-for-hire and obstruction convictions. Specifically, Belcher argues that his murder-for-hire conviction is invalid because the government and the court constructively amended the indictment such that he was sentenced for a crime with which he was never charged. Likewise, he claims that his obstruction conviction cannot stand because the government prejudicially varied from the indictment when it offered additional proof at trial to support the charge. Belcher also attests that the district court erred when it denied his motion for judgment of acquittal on the obstruction charge. For the reasons outlined below, we affirm.

A Lawrence County jury convicted the Defendant, Charles Timothy Rowden, of first degree felony murder, second degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, and aggravated arson. The trial court merged the two murder convictions and imposed an effective sentence of life without the possibility of parole. On appeal, the Defendant asserts that: (1) the trial court erred when it did not instruct the jury that the Defendant’s girlfriend was an accomplice as a matter of law; (2) the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions; and (3) his attorney was ineffective. After review, we affirm the trial court’s judgments and remand for entry of an additional judgment form.