Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, the Appellant, Quadarius Deshun Martin, pled guilty to seven offenses on April 4, 2024, and received an agreed-upon sentence of twelve years’ incarceration. Eighteen days later, the Appellant filed an unsigned, untitled, handwritten pleading in which he stated he wished to withdraw his guilty pleas, arguing that he pled guilty under duress and that trial counsel failed to investigate his case. The trial court1 entered an order construing the filing as a petition for post-conviction relief and appointing counsel. At the subsequent evidentiary hearing, the trial court stated that it would hear both the Appellant’s request to withdraw his guilty pleas and his petition for post-conviction relief. Following the hearing, the trial court denied post-conviction relief but did not rule upon the Appellant’s request to withdraw his guilty pleas. The Appellant appealed, arguing the trial court erred by failing to find he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. We ordered the parties to file supplemental briefs to address whether the trial court erred by construing the Appellant’s filing as a petition for post-conviction relief despite his request to withdraw his guilty plea. Following our review of the record, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand for consideration of the Appellant’s motion to withdraw his guilty pleas.

Defendant, Joseph Raymond Cacciatore, appeals the trial court's denial of his motion for a reduction of sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 35 in which Defendant sought a reduction of his effective ten-year sentence of incarceration resulting from his guilty pleas to two counts of solicitation of a minor, three counts of coercion of a witness, and one count of attempted especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. On appeal, Defendant contends that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel, that his plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered, and that he was arrested and confined without being properly indicted. Upon review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The Defendant, Leonard Harrison Beard, Jr., was convicted by a Maury County Circuit Court jury of two counts of attempted first degree murder, a Class A felony; reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor; unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a Class B felony; reckless endangerment involving a habitation, a Class C felony; vandalism valued at $2,500 or more but less than $10,000, a Class D felony; and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, a Class C felony. See T.C.A. §§ 39-12-101 (2018) (criminal attempt); 39-13-202 (2018) (subsequently amended) (first degree murder); 39-13-103 (2018) (reckless endangerment); 39-17-1307 (2018) (felon in possession of a firearm); 39-14-408 (Supp. 2024) (vandalism); 39-14-105 (2018) (subsequently amended) (grading); 39-17-1324 (2018) (subsequently amended) (employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony). The trial court imposed an effective fifty-year sentence. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court erred by denying his motion for a new trial on the basis that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

This is an appeal from a final judgment dismissing the plaintiff’s claims against a doctor as time barred and for failure to comply with the Health Care Liability Act. Because the appellant did not file his notice of appeal with the Clerk of the Appellate Court within thirty days after entry of the final judgment as required by Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a), we dismiss the appeal.

In this interlocutory appeal, the employee alleges the trial court erred in declining to order the employer to authorize additional medical treatment, including left knee surgery. The employee initially injured his low back while working in the course and scope of his employment. After the employee underwent lumbar surgery, the employer offered him a transitional light duty position at a local nonprofit organization, which he accepted. While working in that position, the employee reported a fall that he claimed caused a left knee injury. Following a previous expedited hearing, the trial court ordered the employer to provide a panel of physicians for evaluation and treatment of the left knee. The panelselected physician initially offered an opinion that the employee’s left knee condition was primarily caused by the work-related fall the employee had described. He subsequently recommended left knee surgery. Later, in response to a questionnaire from the employer, the physician appeared to rescind his original causation opinion. During his subsequent deposition, the physician testified that the left knee condition could have been caused by the incident the employee described, but that causation was difficult to ascertain under the circumstances. Following receipt of all evidence, declarations, and briefs filed by the parties, the trial court issued a decision on the record in which it found the employee had not come forward with sufficient evidence indicating he was likely to prevail at trial in proving the cause of the need for additional left knee treatment, and the employee appealed. Upon careful consideration of the record, we affirm the trial court’s order and remand the case.

Three Tennessee law schools recently have added to their faculties. Vanderbilt University Law School has added Jeff Gordon, who will teach courses on tax law, federal budget law, legislation and regulation; Jeffrey Bellin, who will teach classes related to criminal law and evidence and join the Branstetter Litigation & Dispute Resolution Program and Criminal Justice Program; and Anne-Marie Moyes, who has been named the inaugural clinic director of The Gail Anderson Cañizares Innocence Clinic, which supports the exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals in Tennessee. Belmont University College of Law has expanded its experiential learning program with increased staffing and the addition of a three-credit hour seminar. Patrick Riley will serve as director of field placements and teach the seminar, while former director Kristi Arth steps into a new role as assistant dean of experiential learning. The law school also has hired former Loyola Law School professor Joe Sliskovich to teach courses on business associations, federal income tax and business and tax planning. Finally, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) has hired Joseph A. Figueroa and Courtney Panter as assistant professors of law.

Three families are suing the Williamson County Board of Education and Legacy Middle School’s principal after a transgender student was allowed to participate in a girls-only sex education class. The families claim the decision violated Tennessee law and caused emotional harm to students. The plaintiffs, represented by state Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, seek to bar anyone other than “biological females” from the course and criticize a school counselor’s LGBTQ+ advocacy as conflicting with the state’s abstinence-based policy. The Nashville Post reports that Bulso, who recently launched a bid to fill Mark Green's seat representing the 7th Congressional District, is promoting the lawsuit as part of his campaign. In a web post he asks supporters to help him “take this fight to Washington” and stop “the madness.”

The Trump administration has proposed a rule change to the Supplemental Security Income program that could cut or eliminate benefits for about 375,000 disabled people nationwide, including 7,500 in Tennessee. According to the Tennessee Lookout, the change would end an exception that currently prevents benefits from being reduced when individuals live with family members who receive SNAP food assistance. Analysts estimate the shift could completely end benefits nationwide for 100,000 people and reduce payments for another 275,000.

The Memphis City Council is considering a plan to dedicate $900,000 toward a stronger legal push against blighted properties, with a final vote possible Sept. 9. The funds, redirected from a policing task force proposal, come from interest earned on federal COVID-19 relief money. The Daily Memphian reports that City Attorney Tannera Gibson said the money will be used to hire additional attorneys and outside counsel to move blight cases from general sessions environmental court to chancery court for quicker resolutions. The approach could eventually become self-sustaining through revenue from restored properties sold out of receivership, while also freeing up code-enforcement officers from heavy court duties according to the city.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s 2025 Health Law Primer and Health Law Forum this fall. The primer will take place Nov. 12 at Barnes & Thornburg in Nashville. Designed for those new to health practice, that program will provide a general health law overview and practical tips to identify and avoid the pitfalls of real-life situations in the heavily regulated health care industry. Then on Nov. 13 and 14, the forum will take place at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The two-day event will dig deeper into topics such as regulatory fraud and abuse, medical malpractice, controlled substances enforcement, a legislative update, AI contracting issues, ethics and more. The premier program for Tennessee health care lawyers, the forum provides all necessary CLE requirements for the year — 12 general hours and three dual hours — while providing opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the state. Get more information and register here.