TBA Director of Access to Justice and Strategic Initiatives Chelsea Bennett, along with members of the TBA Access to Justice Committee and representatives from Tennessee legal aid organizations, attended the 2026 Equal Justice Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hosted annually by the American Bar Association and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the conference brings together legal services and pro bono advocates from across the country to share developments, strategies and innovations in providing legal services to low-income individuals. Through plenary sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and special programming, the event provided a wide range of learning and sharing experiences for all attendees.

LARSEN, Circuit Judge. Alexandre Ansari was convicted in Michigan state court of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to commit murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But a review conducted by the local prosecutor’s office later concluded that Ansari was not guilty of the crimes. In response, the state court vacated Ansari’s convictions and sentence pursuant to a stipulated order. Ansari then filed this federal action against Moises Jimenez, the detective who investigated the crimes. Ansari alleged that Jimenez failed to disclose material exculpatory evidence in violation of Ansari’s constitutional rights. A jury found for Ansari and awarded him $10 million in damages. Jimenez now appeals. We AFFIRM.

In April of 2024, the Defendant, Justin James Cruger Wendricks, pleaded guilty to two counts of evading arrest in a motor vehicle, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of resisting arrest, and one count of driving on a suspended license, stipulating to the facts contained in the warrant. The Defendant agreed to a sentence of eight years, suspended to supervised probation after the service of twelve months of incarceration. In September of 2024, the trial court filed a probation violation warrant alleging that the Defendant had absconded. After a hearing, the trial court revoked the Defendant’s probation and ordered him to serve the balance of his sentence in incarceration. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the trial court erred when it ordered him to serve his sentence in confinement. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Defendant, Scott Bradley Price, was convicted by a Madison County Circuit Court jury of theft of property valued at $2,500 or more but less than $10,000 and was sentenced by the trial court as a Range II offender to eight years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence and argues that the trial court erred in not instructing the jury on unauthorized use of a vehicle as a lesser-included offense. We conclude that the evidence is sufficient to sustain the jury’s verdict. We further conclude that the trial court erred in not instructing the jury on the unauthorized use of a vehicle as a lesser-included offense, but that the failure to charge the lesser-included offense was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt because no reasonable jury would have convicted the Defendant of the lesser-included offense under the facts of this case. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

A Grundy County jury convicted the Petitioner, Bobby Joe Patrick, of two counts of rape of a child, and the trial court ordered an effective sentence of sixty-seven years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The Petitioner appealed, and this court affirmed the trial court’s judgments. State v. Patrick, M2019-02026-CCA-R3-CD, 2021 WL 2102914, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App. May 25, 2021), perm. app. denied. (Tenn. Feb. 10, 2022). The Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. After a hearing, the post-conviction court denied relief. On appeal, the Petitioner maintains that he is entitled to post-conviction relief due to the ineffective assistance of counsel and cumulative error. Following our review of the record, we affirm the post- conviction court’s judgment.

The pro se Petitioner, Anthony Cartwright, appeals the summary dismissal of his petition for writ of habeas corpus. Because the Petitioner’s challenge to the amendment of his indictment does not state a cognizable ground for habeas corpus relief, we affirm the judgment of the habeas corpus court.

Defendant, Ricky Burnette, was convicted by a Knox County jury of theft between $2,500 and $10,000, a Class D felony, and sentenced to twelve years’ incarceration as a career offender. In this direct appeal, he contends: (1) the trial court erred when it determined that his convictions from 1991 were admissible for impeachment purposes; (2) the trial court improperly limited the testimony of a witness concerning an ongoing investigation, (3) the trial court abused its discretion in permitting testimony regarding the contents of a stolen vehicle, (4) the trial court erred in failing to give a curative instruction after a witness referred to Defendant’s “classification,” (5) the trial court improperly bolstered the State’s expert witness by asking a hypothetical question, (6) the trial court improperly sustained an objection to the cross-examination of a State’s witness, (7) the trial court improperly instructed the jury on flight, and (8) the cumulative effect of these alleged errors entitles him to relief. Upon a review of the record, the briefs of the parties, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

A dispute over the construction of a custom home went to arbitration. After the arbitrator found in favor of the builder, the builder applied for confirmation of the arbitration award. The homeowners responded by moving to vacate. The trial court vacated the award and sent the case back to arbitration. In the court’s view, the arbitrator exceeded his powers by deciding the case based on a defense the builder did not raise and by failing to postpone the hearing. Because the homeowners failed to establish a basis to vacate the award under the Uniform Arbitration Act, we reverse.

An inmate at the Shelby County Division of Corrections has died, officials said Wednesday, the Daily Memphian reports. Demarcus Kerr was found unresponsive at the corrections facility near Shelby Farms and taken to Saint Francis Hospital last week. Kerr died on May 10; the cause of death is unknown pending autopsy results. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will handle the investigation. Several inmate deaths were reported in 2025.

The U.S. Supreme Court paused a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that would have reinstated an in-person requirement for obtaining mifepristone, keeping mail-order access available while the underlying lawsuit continues. The case stems from Louisiana's challenge to 2023 FDA regulations allowing mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth and mailed to patients, with the state arguing these rules undermine its abortion ban and lack sufficient safety data. The Hill reports that opponents of the ruling, including Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in dissent, contend that mailing the drug may violate federal law and that the court is enabling what they view as an improperly regulated distribution scheme. The dispute remains unresolved — the case returns to the 5th Circuit and could reach the high court again — while the FDA conducts its own ongoing safety review of mifepristone's protocols. Read the order.