A Montgomery County jury convicted the Defendant, Decory Sanchez Smith, of first degree felony murder and attempted aggravated robbery. The trial court sentenced him to life plus ten years. On appeal, the Defendant asserts that: (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions and (2) the trial court erred when it sentenced him by imposing a ten-year sentence for his robbery conviction and ordering consecutive sentencing. After review, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

Defendant, Jessie Rose Hodge, appeals the Knox County Criminal Court’s decision to deny judicial diversion for her guilty-pleaded conviction of criminally negligent homicide, a Class E felony. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-212. Following our review, we affirm.

In this interlocutory appeal, the employer questions the trial court’s decision to deny its third motion to compel discovery. The court granted the employer’s first motion to compel and ordered the employee to provide written authorizations for the release of his medical records. The employee also provided responses to written discovery requests, but the employer asserted they were incomplete and filed another motion to compel, after which the employee supplied additional information. The employer then amended its motion to compel, arguing the employee’s responses were still incomplete because he had objected to its request for copies of his bank statements. In a decision on the record, the trial court denied the employer’s motion to compel production of the employee’s bank statements, and the employer has appealed. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s decision and remand the case.

September 29, 2025 - October 3, 2025.

The TBA’s Animal Law Section held its annual forum at the Nashville Zoo, where attendees heard from experts on issues affecting veterinary clinics, equine concerns, conservation, sensitive habitat development, case law updates, ethics and more. Participants also had the chance to explore the zoo during lunch and meet some of its residents, including a skunk, tamandua, hairy armadillos and rhinos. Attendees also learned about the blue-tongued skink and observed him running amok in the CLE room. See photos from the event.

Utah has joined a growing number of states allowing law school graduates to practice law without taking or passing the traditional bar exam. The Utah Supreme Court last week approved a program permitting graduates of American Bar Association-accredited law schools to obtain licenses after completing 240 hours of supervised legal practice and meeting other requirements. Graduates may still choose to sit for the bar exam. According to Reuters, the program aims to reduce the financial and logistical burdens of exam preparation while ensuring new lawyers gain practical experience. Oregon, Washington and Arizona have adopted similar alternative pathways to licensure.

Former Tennessee Govs. Bill Haslam and Phil Bredesen emphasized the need for civil discourse and bipartisan cooperation during a Sept. 30 policy forum hosted by ThinkTennessee at the Music City Center in Nashville. Haslam and Bresden, who co-host the podcast “You Might Be Right,” discussed the importance of compromise in policymaking and reflected on lessons from their time in office, crediting the state’s progress in education to sustained collaboration across administrations. According to the Nashville Post, both also highlighted the key role of local governments in economic development. The event brought together state and local leaders from government, business and nonprofit sectors for discussions on housing, workforce development, transportation and childcare. Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, who recently was appointed deputy governor also participated in the forum.

Gov. Bill Lee last week announced that applications are being accepted for two grant funds totaling $175 million to strengthen downtown public safety and support local law enforcement in reducing violent crime. Local jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies may apply for funding from the $75 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund and the new $100 million Downtown Public Safety Grant Fund. Both funds were included in the governor’s 2026 budget proposal and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. The intervention fund supports local law enforcement efforts to develop and implement strategies to reduce violent crime and improve public safety infrastructure. The downtown fund was established to increase public safety, reduce blight, enhance economic development infrastructure and curb crime in downtown business and commercial areas. Eligible agencies should have received application instructions by Oct. 3 and may apply through Oct. 24.

President Donald Trump and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee have endorsed Republican Matt Van Epps ahead of Tuesday’s 7th Congressional District primary election, the Nashville Post reports. Trump’s endorsement came one day after Lee announced his support, writing on X that “Matt will stand with President Trump 100% to push back against the extreme agendas that threaten this country.” Following Trump’s endorsement, state Rep. Lee Reeves, R-Franklin, suspended his campaign and endorsed Van Epps. Campaigns for the other two Republican frontrunners, state Reps. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, and Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, have not commented. Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, currently serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee National Guard. Polls for the primary election will be open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.

U.S. Supreme Court justices returned to the bench today with a docket of cases scrutinizing presidential powers, the Trump tariffs, transgender school sports bans, conversion therapy, the Voting Rights Act, gun limits and election finance. Today, the justices heard arguments in two cases: whether lawyers can be barred from speaking to their clients in certain situations and whether state limits on malpractice actions apply in federal court. Tomorrow, they will consider the legality of a Colorado law that bans so-called conversion therapy, which is intended to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity. SCOTUSblog has a roundup of today’s actions, including a review of cases that the court accepted for the 2025-2026 term and those it declined to accept for review.