U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw in Nashville has ordered the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to hand over internal emails and records showing why high-level officials pushed for criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The order, issued on Dec. 3, recently was unsealed, according to The Tennessean. Prosecutors have said officials provided "appropriate oversight" in the case. The order came in proceedings challenging Abrego Garcia's prosecution as vindictive. In October, Crenshaw ruled there is some evidence the government brought charges out of vindictiveness. He set the next hearing for Jan. 26, 2026. Abrego Garcia faces two charges in Tennessee: conspiracy to transport aliens and unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens. In related news, immigration officials now say they do not plan to detain Abrego Garcia again as long as a judge’s order banning it stands, according to the Associated Press.

Mississippi lawyer Christopher Ryan Toms was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Dec. 30. He was placed on inactive status more than five years ago on Dec. 2, 2013. The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility reviewed the petition for reinstatement and determined Toms had met the requirements for reinstatement.

Defendant, William Roger Campbell, was convicted of two counts of first degree murder, and the trial court sentenced him to consecutive life sentences. In his direct appeal, this court affirmed the convictions but reversed the imposition of consecutive sentences and remanded the case to the trial court for a new sentencing hearing, during which the trial court was to address the consecutive sentencing factors outlined in State v. Wilkerson, 905 S.W.2d 933 (Tenn. 1995). State v. Campbell, No. M2023-00779-CCA-R3-CD, 2024 WL 3888342, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App. Aug. 21, 2024). Following a hearing in which no new proof was presented, the court again aligned the sentences consecutively. Defendant now asserts that the trial court erred in doing so. Upon review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The random lottery for H-1B visas heavily used by the tech sector will be swapped with a selection process that favors highly paid workers under a Trump administration rule released last week. According to Reuters, the rule will take effect Feb. 27, 2026, as part of the administration’s plan to block visas for lower-paid jobs. Giving employers an incentive to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers would “strengthen America’s competitiveness,” according to a government spokesperson. But employer groups warn such a change would undercut the administration’s goal of prioritizing the most economically valuable workers.

Kingsport lawyer Don F. Mason Jr. died Dec. 26 following a lengthy illness. Originally from Alabama, Mason earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in 1976, and a Master of Business Administration and a law degree in 1979. He practiced law from 1980 until his passing, maintaining a general practice with a focus in labor and employment law. Other practice areas included discrimination, workers' compensation, personal injury, social security disability, and civil mediation and arbitration. Mason served as president of Legal Aid of East Tennessee from 2015-2016 and was a member of its board of directors from 2010-2020. Visitation is today from 4-5:30 p.m. EST at Colonial Heights Christian Church. A celebration of life will follow at 5:30 p.m. EST. Memorial donations may be made to Legal Aid of East Tennessee, 311 W. Walnut St., Johnson City, TN 37604 or by calling 423-928-8311.

Defendant, Kwame D. Chihombori-Quao, appeals from his guilty-pleaded convictions for four counts of statutory rape, for which he was sentenced to two years in confinement and six years on supervised probation. On appeal, he argues that the trial court erred by ordering him to register as a sex offender. Following our review, we affirm.

Appellant appeals the trial court’s dismissal of her petition for writ of mandamus. Because Appellant improperly joined her original mandamus action with Appellee’s petition for judicial review, an appellate action, we affirm the dismissal.

In this interlocutory appeal, the personal representative of the estate of the decedent employee filed a pro se petition seeking to recover any benefits to which the estate may be entitled following what the personal representative asserts was the decedent’s work-related death. The parties agreed the decedent had no dependents within the meaning of the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Law. Following the filing of a hearing request and a motion for protective order by the personal representative of the estate, the trial court issued an order in which it determined that neither the personal representative of the estate nor the estate itself can proceed with litigation in a pro se capacity. It therefore directed the estate to hire a licensed attorney, and the personal representative has appealed the court’s order. Having carefully reviewed relevant statutes, regulations, and binding case precedent, we affirm the trial court’s order and remand the case.

The TBA will be closed Thursday in observance of New Year’s Day and will reopen at 8 a.m. CST on Friday. Visit the TBA website to access CLE offerings for your year-end needs and contact information for individual staff members. Happy New Year!

The New Year is just hours away and the TBA is here to help attorneys meet their CLE requirements with flexible, year-end programming. TBA CLE offers live webcasts and on-demand courses that can be completed from home or the office, whether you need a single hour or 15 to finish the year. Members can select from packages by hour (six, eight, 10, 12 or 15), by topic, by practice area or by building their own with more than 200 on-demand programs available. Topical and practice-area packages offer dual hours, making it easy to complete ethics requirements before the year ends. For more information and to browse the full catalog, visit the TBA website or contact support at cle@tnbar.org.