Make plans now to join the TBA YLD's Civil Rights Walking Tour in Chattanooga on Oct. 13. This unique CLE will run from 1:30-5 p.m. EDT and offer two hours of dual CLE credit. Participants will visit a number of important landmarks in the city's fight for civil rights and learn about the legal history that has made Chattanooga a more inclusive place to live and work.

Chattanooga lawyer Mark Johnson Mayfield died April 5 at the age of 91. A resident of Chattanooga since 1958, Mayfield received his law degree from the University of Tennessee, where he graduated first in his class and was a recipient of the Order of the COIF. He practiced law in Chattanooga for more than 40 years and was a member of the Chattanooga Bar Association. Memorial contributions may be made to Hearth Hospice, 513 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Congress has “no authority” to regulate the court in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Friday, The Hill reports. “I know this is a controversial view, but I’m willing to say it,” Alito told the Journal. “No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court — period.” Alito and other legal observers argue that Congress cannot prescribe regulations for the court without running afoul of separation of powers issues. The comments come as the U.S. Senate faces potential action on legislation mandating a binding ethics code for the court. Two weeks ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to advance the measure.

A Davidson County judge is under scrutiny following a report from the State Comptroller's Office that found the judge created a "potential conflict of interest" by funneling federal grant funds to a for-profit business. The report does not name the judge, but the business in question is owned by General Sessions Court Judge Rachel Bell and her wife Dr. Dorsha James Bell, the Tennessean reports. NewsChannel 5 reported in May that Bell received a $200,000 federal grant to establish a restorative justice diversion program and used part of the funds to rent office space for Solutions Now in a building owned by her parents. Bell did not disclose her ownership ties to the company on the initial grant documents. She has said it was "always understood” that she owned the company based on discussions during the grant application process. The comptroller said the expenses were legitimate but her failure to disclose her association with the company “created an appearance of impropriety.”

Ahead of this month’s special session, several state legislators from Memphis met with constituents to hear what they would like to see accomplished during the session. Members of the Memphis Police Department joined about 50 people Tuesday night at the Riverside Missionary Baptist Church to talk about legislative proposals to address crime and violence in the city. The Commercial Appeal reports that those who spoke called for greater youth resources and stronger gun laws.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice said this week they are "just getting started" in their pattern or practice investigation of the Memphis Police Department. According to the Commercial Appeal, officials from the department held their first meeting via a Zoom call to explain the investigation to Memphians, introduce themselves and allow residents to pose questions as they prepare for the investigation.

In this interlocutory appeal, the employee challenges the trial court’s conclusion that she is not likely to prevail at trial in proving she timely filed a petition for benefits. The employee filed a petition in May 2022 alleging injuries occurring in May 2021. After reviewing the evidence, including medical records, and hearing the employee’s testimony, the trial court concluded that the date of injury alleged on the petition was an error, as other evidence indicated that her alleged injury likely occurred in March 2021. The employer paid no benefits on the claim, and the trial court found that the employee’s May 2022 filing likely occurred after the applicable statute of limitations had expired. The court issued an interlocutory order denying the benefits requested by the employee on that basis, and the employee has appealed. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s decision and remand the case.

White County General Sessions Court Judge John Meadows now can hear adoption cases thanks to a private bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Paul Sherrell and Sen. Paul Bailey, both of Sparta. The legislation was approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Bill Lee during the last session, Sparta Alive reports. Under Tennessee law, only chancery and circuit courts have jurisdiction, power and authority to hear and decide adoption cases. The change was enacted to expedite adoption proceedings in the county, where residents often had to wait to be scheduled on a crowded docket and then travel to Cookeville for court appearances. According to the Department of Children’s Services, the change will “accelerate child placement, namely allowing for a judicial waiver to speed adoption finalization from six to three months if a court sees fit.”

The petitioner, Kris Young, appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, which petition challenged his convictions of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and aggravated burglary, alleging that the trial court erred in the jury instructions, that the evidence was insufficient to support the aggravated kidnapping conviction, that the kidnapping statutes are unconstitutionally vague, that his aggravated kidnapping conviction violates the principles of double jeopardy, and that trial and appellate counsel performed deficiently. Discerning no error, we affirm the denial of post-conviction relief.

Petitioner, Roosevelt Morris, appeals from the Hickman County Circuit Court’s summary dismissal of his petition for writ of habeas corpus. Petitioner alleges he is entitled to relief because his sentence is unconstitutional under Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296 (2004), he did not receive timely pretrial notice of the State’s notice of intent to seek enhanced punishment, and because the habeas corpus court did not give him sufficient time to file a written reply to the State’s response to the habeas corpus petition. After review, we affirm the judgment of the habeas corpus court.