A wife sought a divorce after a long-term marriage. The trial court granted the wife a default judgment for divorce as a sanction for the husband’s discovery abuses. After a trial, the court also valued and divided the marital estate and awarded the wife alimony in futuro. On appeal, the husband challenges the court’s decisions on multiple grounds. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm.

The Petitioner, William Rolandus Keel, appeals the denial of his petition for post- conviction relief from his convictions for two counts of rape of a child, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in not admitting relevant evidence consisting of a recorded phone call (“Phone Call Recording” or “recording”) between the victim and her mother, in limiting the Petitioner’s testimony at the remand evidentiary hearing, in finding that the Petitioner received the effective assistance of counsel, and in denying post-conviction relief when the Petitioner is “one hundred percent innocent and [was] wrongfully convicted.” Based on our review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

The Metro Nashville Employee Benefit Board voted this week to not provide medical insurance coverage for gender-related surgeries, Axios Nashville reports. Mayor John Cooper had urged the board to support the procedures for transgender employees and their beneficiaries over the age of 18. He argued the benefit would help improve employee recruitment and retention while opponents cited a number of concerns about the proposal. The board had previously voted against such coverage in 2021.

A swearing-in ceremony will take place tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. CDT for 21st Judicial District Attorney General Stacey B. Edmonson, the Williamson Herald reports. Edmonson was appointed last month by Gov. Bill Lee to fill a vacancy created by the death of Kim Helper. The event will be held in the Cornelia A. Clark Courtroom in the historic courthouse in Franklin. The oath of office will be administered by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeff Bivin. Edmonson has served the district for nearly two decades, most recently as deputy district attorney general, a role she has held for 12 years.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a declared candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. president, will give the keynote address at this year’s Tennessee GOP Statesmen’s Dinner in Nashville. The dinner will take place at the Music City Center on July 15, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released an opinion today to provide guidance on how lawyers may use a legal assistant to perform client intake tasks. Formal Opinion 506 reiterates Model Rule 5.3 and states that an assistant may perform an array of tasks at client intake, but the lawyer should ensure that prospective clients are always offered an opportunity to discuss the fee agreement and scope of representation with the lawyer. The opinion notes the benefits of using nonlawyer assistants but emphasizes that such assistants “must be carefully and astutely managed” to avoid ethical violations.

Rep. Bill Beck, who died of a heart attack this past weekend, will lie in state at the Tennessee Capitol tomorrow from 2-6 p.m. CDT. On Saturday, funeral services will be held beginning at 11 a.m. in the Polk Theatre at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, 505 Deaderick St., Nashville 37243. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. The Tennessee Journal reported the news.

The TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville next week will feature a two-part wellness program on how to improve personal and group well-being. Don’t miss our panel of judges and lawyers discussing topics such as the impact of well-being on productivity, establishing healthy and sustainable habits, seeking professional help, and using mentoring as a tool to promote individual and group wellness. The program will take place June 16 from 9:45-11:45 a.m. EDT at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown Hotel. Want to join colleagues just for this program? The TBA is making a select number of programs available for purchase separate from the full convention registration. Sign up here.

This is an appeal regarding the final decree of divorce for this couple. The husband’s in- laws are included as intervening petitioners. The trial court granted the wife a divorce on the ground of inappropriate marital conduct, $1250 per month alimony in futuro, and payment of her attorney fees as alimony in solido.1 Further, the court awarded a judgment to the intervening petitioners of $297,670, with a lien in their favor upon all the real property to secure payment of the indebtedness. The husband appeals. We affirm.

The TBA Elder Law Section’s recent program on conservatorship is now available on demand as a 1-Click package. The program features top experts providing specialized information relevant to conservators, guardians ad litem and attorneys ad litem. The sessions — “Neurocognitive Disorders and the Problems They Bring to Conservatorships” and “Preparing a Home for Comfort and Safety” — can be purchased separately or bundled together.