This appeal arises from a premises liability action commenced by Tammala Thompson (“Plaintiff”) for injuries she sustained while camping for the weekend at Cedars of Lebanon State Park (“the Park”). Plaintiff alleges that the State of Tennessee (“the State”), which owns and operates the Park, is liable for her injuries because the State negligently maintained an unsafe sidewalk. Relying upon the affirmative defense provided by the Tennessee Recreational Use Statute (“the TRUS”), the State filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. Plaintiff opposed the motion arguing that she was not engaged in recreational activity when the injury occurred because she was walking on a sidewalk; thus, the TRUS is not applicable. She also asserted that sidewalks are “improvements” which are not expressly exempted from liability under the TRUS. Finding the TRUS applicable and that no exceptions applied, the Claims Commission granted the State’s motion to dismiss. We affirm.

A mother appeals the termination of her parental rights for abandonment by failure to visit, abandonment by failure to support, persistence of conditions, and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody of her children. Discerning no error, we affirm.

The homeowners and a general contractor commenced this action for breach of contract, breach of express warranty, and breach of implied warranty against a brick manufacturer and its distributor. The trial court granted summary judgment to the defendants based on the plaintiffs’ failure to provide an opportunity to cure. We affirm in part and reverse in part. Having determined that Article 2 of Tennessee’s Uniform Commercial Code controls the sale of the bricks and that the bricks were accepted, it was unnecessary for the plaintiffs to provide an opportunity to cure before filing suit. Still, we conclude that the manufacturer was entitled to summary judgment on all claims because it had no privity of contract with the plaintiffs.

This is an appeal from a trial court’s decision to grant a motion to enforce a settlement agreement. The trial court conducted an evidentiary hearing and concluded that the parties had reached an enforceable agreement. We affirm.

The Tennessee Trial Court Vacancy Commission reports that it received two applications — from Aaron J. Chapman of Morristown and Mark S. Stapleton of Rogersville — to fill a vacancy in the 3rd Judicial District Circuit Court. Because it did not have three names to forward, under the law, Gov. Bill Lee may appoint any qualified individual to the position. The vacancy was created by the appointment of William E. Phillips II to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The district covers Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties. Read more from the commission.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law’s National Moot Court Team won first place at the Region VII Competition of the 76th annual National Moot Court Competition last fall at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. The victory marked the team’s fourth regional championship in six years, and allowed it to advance to the national final rounds in New York City in January. Longtime coaches and professors emeriti John L. Sobieski Jr. and Don Leatherman guided the team to its win. “Their hard work, ability and poise under pressure were evident in every round. We couldn’t be prouder of their achievement,” Sobieski said in a press release from the school.

Memphis attorney Jahari Dowdy has announced her candidacy for Shelby County Criminal Court judge in Division 1. Dowdy, a graduate of Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, has two decades of experience in criminal law and is the owner of the Law Office of J.M. Dowdy PLLC. Her practice has included representing clients in both state and federal courts, handling cases ranging from misdemeanors to serious violent felonies. Dowdy said her work has focused on thorough case investigations, careful review of evidence and maintaining clear communication with clients and their families. Her courtroom experience includes jury and bench trials, as well as suppression, bail and preliminary hearings. Read more in a press release or visit her campaign website.

Metro Nashville is moving forward with plans to build a new jail complex on Harding Place to replace two existing facilities, one of which has been unusable for six years, contributing to persistent overcrowding, according to the Nashville Banner. The city issued a request for proposals from potential contractors Monday, setting the project budget at $410 million. The plan calls for demolishing the Metro Detention Facility and the Correctional Development Center for men and constructing a new facility on the same site to provide the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office about 1,000 additional jail beds. Sheriff Daron Hall told the Banner the capacity issues are not due to an unusually high number of inmates, but because of the number of "beds that are functional right now.” He added that city officials aim to complete the project within 36 months.

Memphis attorney and corporate counsel Ralph David Davison, died March 17 at age 93. Davison began his legal career in private practice in Mississippi after earning his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1959. He later moved to Memphis in 1967, where he served as a staff attorney and later vice president of administration for Holiday Inns Inc. He went on to become vice president and general counsel at Parts Inc. Davison was a member of the American, Mississippi and Tennessee bar associations. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. EDT on April 6 at Westminster Canterbury in Richmond. Memorials may be made to the Westminster Canterbury Fellowship Fund, 1600 Westbrook Ave., Richmond, VA 23227; First Presbyterian Church, 4602 Cary Street Rd., Richmond, VA 23226; or Idlewild Presbyterian Church, 1750 Union Ave., Memphis, TN 38104.

Looking for CME hours in addition to your CLE requirements? TBA has you covered. Earn credits before the deadline of March 31 with courses that cover dispute resolution updates, family law consultation, divorce and taxes and more! Find an individual course or get three dual CME/CLE credits and four general credits with TBA's 1-Click CME package. Please note that CME credit must self-submitted through the Administrative Office of the Courts’ ADR portal. If needed, please use the proof of completion email as the supportive documentation in the portal.