SUTTON, Chief Judge. When officers attempted to arrest Derek Aaron for a home invasion and a violent robbery, he pulled his hands away and refused to place them behind his back. After pulling on Aaron’s arms and issuing verbal orders, officers took him to the ground. When Aaron sued the officers for excessive force under § 1983, they moved for summary judgment based on qualified immunity. The district court denied the motion in part, reasoning that a jury could find that the officers violated Aaron’s clearly established rights. We disagree and reverse.

A gas company obtained an easement by eminent domain across a property owner’s land. A jury determined the amount of just compensation payable to the landowner. On appeal, the gas company argues that the trial court erred in allowing the jury to hear expert testimony from the landowner’s expert regarding the value of the property and that the jury verdict is not supported by material evidence. Finding no abuse of discretion, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

This interlocutory appeal concerns the relation back doctrine under Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 15.03. The plaintiffs sued a corporate entity for premises liability. The corporate defendant successfully moved for summary judgment on grounds that it did not own the subject property. The plaintiffs then filed a motion to alter or amend in which they sought leave to amend their complaint to name a separate corporate entity as a defendant. The trial court granted the plaintiffs’ motion, finding that the initial mistake was a misnomer and that the plaintiffs were not seeking to add a new party even though the defendant to be added was a distinct corporate entity. The defendants sought permission to file an interlocutory appeal, which the trial court granted. The record contains no evidence that the separate corporate entity named by the plaintiffs in their amended pleading received timely notice of the plaintiffs’ lawsuit. We therefore reverse the judgment of the trial court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on April 1 permanently disbarred Madison County lawyer Marcus Allen Lipham from the practice of law and ordered him to pay restitution to seven former clients in the total amount of $26,500. The court took the action based on nine separate misconduct complaints. The court determined that Lipham knowingly failed to provide competent representation, act within the scope and authority communicated by clients, act with reasonable diligence, communicate with clients, properly terminate representation, expedite litigation, provide legal services after accepting fees and respond to multiple inquiries for information. The court also found that he charged unreasonable fees, made false statements to courts and parties and engaged in misconduct involving prejudice to the administration of justice. His actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.9, 1.15, 1.16, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 8.1 and 8.4(a), (c) and (d).

Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez has alleged in federal court that her recent arrest by federal immigration authorities was retaliation for her reporting on local enforcement activities, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Rodríguez was arrested March 4 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and released March 19 on bond. In a declaration filed this week, Rodríguez said ICE officials appeared aware of her work covering immigration enforcement in Middle Tennessee. She also described what she characterized as abusive and retaliatory treatment during her detention, including isolation and denial of access to counsel. Her legal team has filed a federal lawsuit alleging her arrest was unconstitutional and seeking to block any further enforcement actions against her. Government attorneys have argued those claims should be dismissed, questioning whether such constitutional protections apply in her case.

On March 24, Barry Steelman, senior judge of criminal court, swore in Curtis L. Bowe III as judge of the City of Collegedale. Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) Board President Keith Grant presented Bowe with his robe. See photos from the CBA. Bowe will serve as city judge until the next election in 2030. He was selected as the new judge in March after the death of Judge Kevin Wilson in December 2025.

The family of an inmate who died at the Shelby County Jail in 2025 has filed a federal lawsuit alleging negligence and inadequate medical care, the Daily Memphian reports. Courtney Berry died March 30, 2025, after he was found unresponsive in a jail bathroom, more than a month after being booked for an alleged violation of a suspended sentence. An autopsy found he died from heart complications. The suit alleges that Berry had complained of chest pain and made multiple requests for medical assistance that were ignored or inadequately addressed. The complaint further claims his death reflects a broader pattern of neglect of inmates’ medical needs at the facility. Filed March 17, the suit names Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., the jail’s medical provider WellPath, and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris as defendants. The suit seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages. Neither the sheriff’s office nor Harris commented on the allegations.

A federal judge has dismissed most claims in a class action lawsuit involving families who lost loved ones in the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, narrowing the case against the National Park Service, Knox News reports. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer tossed claims that park officials failed to follow fire protocol. In his opinion yesterday, Greer said park officials made a judgment call and they did enough in their firefighting efforts, though they made errors in their assessment of the fire. The final focus of the lawsuit will center on claims that the park's command structure, namely Fire Management Officer Greg Salansky, was wearing too many hats to properly handle the constantly changing conditions of the fire. Those claims from victims' families and insurance companies will continue through the federal courts.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its April docket on April 8 at Union University in Jackson, with proceedings beginning at 9 a.m. CDT. Oral arguments will be heard at the Harvey Auditorium in the Barefoot Student Union Building and will be accessible by livestream. The court is scheduled to hear three cases addressing issues including class certification and legal malpractice claims, statutory interpretation in a negligence dispute, and the obligations of district attorneys general in municipal court proceedings. Read more about each case in a press release.

Sessions from the 2026 Estate Planning & Probate Forum are available now as a 1-Click package — a comprehensive CLE bundle providing seven hours of programming, including six general hours and one dual hour. The sessions cover a range of timely topics, including probate litigation strategy, the growing role of artificial intelligence in estate planning workflows, legislative updates, ethics and conflict-of-interest considerations, public receiverships and a probate panel featuring experienced practitioners, judges and court officials. The programming aims to equip estate planning attorneys with immediately applicable tools and help them stay current on developments impacting the field. Purchase the package or individual sessions.