Services will be held tomorrow, Oct. 29, for former Nashville judge and attorney Stanley A. Kweller, who died last night. The funeral will take place at The Temple, 5015 Harding Pike, Nashville 37205 at 1 p.m. CDT. Interment will follow at The Temple cemetery. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed on Zoom. Register here to receive the link. Shiva minyans will take place on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the home of Sandra & Steve Hecklin, 6052 Robin Hill Rd., Nashville 37205. Kweller presided over Davidson County’s 4th Circuit Court from January 2023 to August 2024 following the passage of Judge Phil Smith. He also was a prosecutor in upper East Tennessee and practiced family law in Nashville at Kweller Law. Arrangements were announced by Circuit Court Judge Stephanie J. Williams. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Nashville Wine Auction, Park Center Nashville or The Temple.

A $1 million pledge to the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law recently was made on behalf of Chattanooga law firm Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers. The gift will support scholarships for students interested in pursuing legal careers in advocacy, as well as the Douglas A. Blaze Leadership and John K. Morgan scholarships. “Winston Law deeply appreciates the continued support of Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers,” said Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. “The firm’s significant investment in our students and programs helps ensure that our advocacy tradition remains strong and continues to prepare future litigators for successful and fulfilling careers with our signature commitment to serving the public good.” Read more in a release.

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission (TFWC) held a meeting this month to review several state rules and celebrate its annual awards. On the agenda were new rules regarding deer baiting and proposed changes to Tennessee’s rules governing threatened and endangered species. TFWC is a 13-member voting group who are nonsalaried public servants. The Tennessee governor appoints nine of its members for six-year terms, with the General Assembly appointing four members for four-year terms. Watch a recording of the meeting, learn more about the proposals and submit commentary using this link.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert plans to appeal a ruling that allows ouster proceedings against her to resume, the Commercial Appeal reports. The announcement came a day after the Tennessee Court of Appeals reinstated the case against her, reversing a Shelby County Circuit Court judge's ruling that the case be dismissed for a lack of standing. The issue centers on whether the outside counsel bringing the case on behalf of the Shelby County Attorney's Office has standing to sue. Halbert, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection, has faced a range of complaints during her time in office, including a previous ouster attempt that ultimately was dismissed.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti this week announced a $1 million 33-state settlement with online clothing retailer TFG Holding Inc., which operates JustFab, ShoeDazzle and FabKids. The settlement resolves allegations that the company deceived consumers about its VIP Membership Program and made cancellations and refunds unreasonably difficult. Of the total amount to be paid, $110,781.35 will go automatically to affected Tennessee consumers. Others who wish to seek refunds may do so by submitting a written complaint to TFGHoldingResolutions@jfbrands.com by Jan. 30, 2026. Consumers may also file a complaint with the attorney general’s office.

On May 9, Gov. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill No. 670 into law (see Public Chapter No. 437), which amends several sections of the Tennessee Code related to wetlands and introduces new requirements and exemptions for property owners and developers. Effective July 1, the legislation eliminates development regulations for up to 80% of Tennessee's isolated wetlands — those lacking surface connections to navigable rivers and lakes — to provide greater flexibility for development. This change comes after a 2023 Supreme Court ruling removed isolated wetlands from federal control, leaving their regulation entirely to states. Continue reading...

The Defendant, Joseph Wert, appeals from his conviction for voluntary manslaughter, for which he received a six-year sentence. On appeal, the Defendant contends that (1) the trial court erred by excluding a text message exchange between two non-testifying individuals discussing the victim’s statement on the day of the shooting; (2) the trial court erred by allowing the State to read in front of the jury several unauthenticated text messages on the victim’s ex-wife’s cell phone between the victim, his ex-wife, and their minor daughter; (3) the State committed prosecutorial misconduct during its closing argument when it referenced the text messages between the victim, his ex-wife, and their minor daughter, and the trial court erred by overruling his contemporaneous objection thereto; (4) the trial court erred by refusing to provide a jury instruction regarding the presumed reasonableness of his use of deadly force against the victim pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-11-611(c), commonly known as “castle doctrine.”; and (5) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction because the State failed to disprove his self-defense claim beyond a reasonable doubt. Finally, he contends that cumulative error entitles him to a new trial. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Defendant, Michael Domonic Sales, was convicted by a Lincoln County jury of first degree premeditated murder for which he received a life sentence. The Defendant filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1 because he was not sentenced by a jury, which the trial court denied. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying relief. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Defendant, Alan Joseph Robertson, appeals the Hickman County Criminal Court’s order revoking his probation for his sale of methamphetamine in an amount of 0.5 gram or more conviction and ordering him to serve the remainder of his ten-year sentence in confinement. The Defendant argues that the court abused its discretion by ordering him to serve his sentence in confinement. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

he Defendant, John F. Curran, III, appeals his Hardin County convictions for passing a worthless check and filing a false lien, for which he received a total effective sentence of five years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant argues that: (1) the State failed to establish territorial jurisdiction because the offenses took place on federal property; (2) the trial court erred by denying the Defendant’s motion to recuse; (3) the trial court erred by denying defense counsel’s motion to withdraw when counsel explained he lacked knowledge and experience in federal maritime law and admiralty jurisdiction; (4) the trial court violated the Defendant’s due process rights by initially granting his pretrial motion to present affirmative defenses but later ruling those defenses could not be presented to the jury; (5) the evidence was insufficient to support the Defendant’s conviction for passing a worthless check because the payment was for a pre-existing debt and not to induce services; (6) the State committed two Brady1 violations when it failed to disclose evidence proving the State lacked jurisdiction over the case, which led to false testimony from State witnesses; and (7) the trial court erred by imposing a sentence other than the statutory minimum and by imposing an illegal sentence when it failed to cite the victims for each count, failed to order restitution for passing a worthless check, and took no action to remove the lien from the property at issue. After review, we affirm.