A former Nashville police officer has been sentenced to one year of supervised probation after authorities said he participated in an adult video while on duty. Last week, Sean Herman entered a “best interest” plea in Nashville criminal court to one count of official misconduct, while a second count was dismissed, the Associated Press reports. The plea means he plead guilty while maintaining factual innocence. He also was granted judicial diversion. Herman was fired in May 2024 after detectives with the Specialized Investigations Division discovered the video and identified him by his police uniform. He was arrested the following month.

The Belonging Fund, a Nashville-based fundraising effort created in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, has expanded its mission to cover legal services for immigrants, Axios Nashville reports. The fund, administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, initially was designed to be a resource to help immigrant families with the cost of child care, housing, food and other needs. However, the fund’s website now states it will provide money for immigration-related representation and advocacy. Since its launch, the Belonging Fund has raised more than $525,000. To date it has distributed $98,000 through Conexión Américas to assist 132 families.

The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation will host the 26th Annual Dick Jerman Memorial Golf Tournament on Oct. 13 at Indian Hills Golf Club in Murfreesboro. The event honors the late Circuit Court Judge Dick Jerman Jr. of Alamo, who died in 1999, and supports the foundation’s mission of providing need-based scholarships to Tennessee law students. Founded in 1995 by trial and appellate judges, the foundation is funded through private contributions, memorials, merchandise sales and the annual golf tournament. View more information and register on the foundation's website.

A memorial service honoring retired Nashville General Sessions Judge William Higgins will take place this Thursday at 1 p.m. CDT in Courtroom 3B of the Justice A.A. Birch Building, 408 2nd Ave. N., Nashville 37201. Higgins died Aug. 11 at the age of 86. After earning his law degree from the Nashville School of Law, he went on to serve on the Metro Nashville Council for three terms and practiced law for 13 years before running for the Davidson County General Sessions Court in 1980. He won that race and subsequently was elected to five terms. He was named presiding judge of the court in 2013 and retired in 2022 to return to practicing law. View an invitation for the event.

Knoxville attorney Albert Joseph Harb died Aug. 14 at age 73. Harb earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee and began practicing law independently before joining the firm of Hodges, Doughty & Carson in 1984, where he practiced until 2024. Over the years, Harb developed a large construction law practice, represented clients in personal injury cases and maintained a diverse list of corporate and commercial litigation clients. A reception for friends will be held Aug. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT at Apostles Anglican Church, 1540 Robinson Rd. NW, Knoxville 37923. The funeral is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 11 a.m. EDT at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, 9132 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37923. A graveside service will take place at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery, 5315 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919. Donations may be made in Harb’s honor to Apostles Anglican Church, the Dr. Wahid Hanna Educational Endowment at the University of Tennessee or FISH Hospitality Pantries.

Join moderator and TBA YLD President Judge Alex McVeagh and four Tennessee judges on Nov. 20 for a one-hour conversation about their paths from first-generation lawyers to serving on the bench. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Davidson County General Sessions Judge Ana Escobar, Court of Appeals Judge John W. McClarty and 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge David Veile will share how they built their careers without direct ties to the legal profession, the challenges they faced and the lessons they learned along the way. Whether you are a first-generation attorney or simply interested in the journeys of those who serve in the judiciary, this program will offer practical insights, encouragement and a candid look at what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of the legal field. For more information and to register visit the TBA's website.

In 2012, a Sullivan County jury convicted the Petitioner, Dwight Randall Walton, of four counts of rape of a child, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of aggravated sexual battery. For these convictions, he received an effective sentence of fifty years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. State v. Walton, No. E2014-02319- CCA-R3-CD, 2015 WL 5554573, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App. Sept. 21, 2015), no perm. app. filed. On direct appeal, this court concluded that the evidence was sufficient to support each conviction, except the aggravated sexual battery conviction. Id. Concluding that the evidence was insufficient to support the aggravated sexual battery conviction, we reversed and dismissed that conviction. Thereafter, the Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, claiming that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. The post-conviction court denied his petition after a hearing. After review, we affirm the post-conviction court's judgment.

Petitioner, Victor Trezevant, was convicted by a Shelby County jury of first degree felony murder committed during the perpetration of an attempted aggravated robbery, for which he received a life sentence. He subsequently filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which the post-conviction court denied after a hearing. On appeal, Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred when it denied relief on his claims of ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel. Following a thorough review, we affirm.

Petitioner, Jerrico Lamont Hawthorne, appeals from the denial of his petition for post- conviction relief and argues that the post-conviction court erred in denying his claim that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to call a witness who would have testified that Defendant was not present for the shooting. Following our review of the entire record, the briefs of the parties and the applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Defendant, William Dejesus Fernandez, was convicted by a Warren County jury of attempted first degree murder where the victim suffered serious bodily injury, employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and two counts of aggravated assault. He received an effective sentence of twenty-seven years’ incarceration. Defendant appeals, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions. Upon review of the entire record, the briefs of the parties, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgments of the trial court but remand for entry of a corrected judgment for count two consistent with this opinion.