The Defendant, Amir Hassan Spears, appeals from his convictions for first degree felony murder, criminally negligent homicide, especially aggravated robbery, and aggravated assault. On appeal, he presents three issues for our review: (1) whether the evidence was insufficient to support the Defendant’s convictions for failure to establish identity; (2) whether the State committed a Brady violation when it failed to disclose, prior to the close of the State’s proof, the circumstances surrounding a victim’s identification of the Defendant; and (3) whether trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by (i) failing to take appropriate action when this issue came to light at trial, and (ii) failing to adequately challenge testimony that the Defendant had concealed a long rifle inside his pants. After review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The Defendant, Jarvis Jones, appeals from the order of the trial court revoking his probation. He argues that trial court failed to properly adhere to the two-step consideration for probation revocation and, as a result, abused its discretion in revoking his probation. Upon review, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in revoking the Defendant’s probation and that the record, considered as a whole, supports full revocation as the appropriate consequence. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Retired Chancellor Richard E. Ladd Sr. died March 15 in Bristol at the age of 90. After graduating from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law, Ladd moved to Bristol and began practicing law in 1963. He spent the first 15 years of his career working as a trial lawyer. He then was appointed chancellor of the 2nd Judicial District in 1978. He served more than 30 years on the bench before retiring in 2010. Throughout his career, Ladd taught at the Tennessee Judicial Academy and served in various positions with the Tennessee Judicial Conference. He served as president of the conference from 1989-90. Watch an interview Ladd gave in 2010 for the Tennessee Bar Foundation Fellows' Legal History Project. The family intends to hold a private service but memorial donations may be made to the Dean Harold Warner Scholarship Fund at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law or a charity of the donor’s choice.

The Defendant, Wayne Morris Flood, appeals from the Hickman County Circuit Court’s probation revocation for his eight-year sentence for possession with intent to sell or deliver 0.5 gram or more of methamphetamine. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the trial court abused its discretion by revoking his probation and ordering him to serve the remainder of his sentence in confinement. We reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand this case for the trial court to reinstate the Defendant to probation.

The Defendant, Robert Seth Denton, appeals from his convictions for three counts of first degree premeditated murder, as well as singular counts of aggravated assault, reckless aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. On appeal, the Defendant asserts that three evidentiary issues entitle him to a new trial: (1) one of the murder victims, who made a dying declaration identifying the Defendant as the person who shot him, lacked the personal knowledge necessary to identify his killer; (2) the life-in-being photographs of the murder victims were not relevant to any disputed issue at trial and were unfairly prejudicial; and (3) the photographs of two of the minor victims taken at the hospital following the shooting were needlessly cumulative, unfairly prejudicial, and were not relevant to any disputed issue at trial. He further contends, based upon these evidentiary claims, that the cumulative error doctrine entitles him to relief. Finally, as to the aggravated assault conviction only, the Defendant asserts that the evidence was insufficient to support the jury’s verdict. After review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

This is an accelerated interlocutory appeal as of right filed pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 10B. Due to numerous deficiencies in Appellant’s petition, the appeal is dismissed.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and the Herff Chair of Excellence will host the 2026 Herff Conference on May 15 at the law school. This year’s theme, "Countervailing Power — Antimonopoly for Workers," will focus on the rise of antitrust litigation in the labor market, including looking at the underlying laws and the proof elements for a violation. The keynote address will be given by former Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya. Lunch and a reception are included in the free program. Learn more online.

Husband and Wife both sought a divorce, with each attributing fault to the other. During the divorce process, Wife alleged to the police, the Department of Children’s Services, and Husband’s military employer that Husband had abused her and their child. Husband denied the allegations and responded with a petition to hold Wife in criminal contempt for making false allegations of abuse. The contempt petition and the military investigation into Wife’s claims remained open at the time of Wife’s deposition. Wife refused, allegedly based on these open matters, to answer questions at her deposition, pleading the Fifth Amendment. The deposition was relocated to the courthouse, where the trial court held an impromptu hearing on the matter. During the hearing, the judge informed Wife that her refusal to answer questions could result in her being held in civil contempt. However, instead of holding Wife in civil contempt, with no warning, the trial court struck Wife’s pleadings and entered a default judgment. Addressing Husband’s pleadings and testimony thereupon, the trial court thereafter entered a final order dividing the parties’ property and fashioning a parenting plan. Wife appealed, arguing, among other things, that the sanctions of striking her pleadings and issuing a default judgment were improper. Because we conclude that Wife had insufficient notice, we vacate the trial court’s sanctions order and remand the case.

New York City-based criminal defense firm Meister, Seelig & Schuster has joined with Nashville firm Hodde & Associates to open a Nashville office. Kimberly S. Hodde will join the national firm as a partner, co-chair of the White Collar & Criminal Defense Group, chair of the National Criminal Defense Practice and managing partner of the Nashville office. Hodde, a graduate of the Nashville School of Law, has more than three decades of experience representing individuals and business clients in complex federal and state criminal matters. The firm, previously known as Meister Seelig & Fein, says it plans to expand the Nashville office by upwards of a dozen attorneys over the next few years. Other offices are located in Connecticut, California and New Jersey. Read more in a press release from the firm. The Nashville office will remain at 40 Music Square E., Nashville, TN 37203. It can be contacted at 615-242-4200.

Memphis lawyer John T. “Tim” Edwards died Feb. 24 at the age of 77. A 1976 graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Edwards built a legal practice handling complex litigation involving professional negligence, product liability, serious personal injury, civil rights and class action cases. He was a partner at Ballin, Ballin & Fishman and a member of the Board of Trial Advocates, the American Association for Justice, and multiple state bar associations. He was board-certified in civil trial advocacy and civil pre-trial practice advocacy. A family celebration will be held in the mountains of Montana. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.