Seventeen-year-old Antonio Demetrius Adkisson (a.k.a. Antonio Demetrius Turner, Jr.) (“the Defendant”) was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of two victims. The Gibson County Juvenile Court (“the juvenile court”) held a transfer hearing and found it appropriate to transfer the Defendant to the Gibson County Circuit Court (“the trial court”) to be prosecuted as an adult. After a jury trial, during which the Defendant’s videotaped statements were admitted into evidence, the Defendant was convicted of two counts of the lesser-included offense of second-degree murder. On direct appeal, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed. See State v. Adkisson, No. W2022-01009- CCA-R3-CD, 2024 WL 1252173 (Tenn. Crim. App. Mar. 25, 2024), perm. app. granted, (Tenn. Aug. 14, 2024). The Defendant requested permission to appeal to this Court, alleging (1) the juvenile court lacked probable cause to believe he committed the charged offenses, as required for transfer by Tennessee Code Annotated section 37-1-134(a)(4)(A), and (2) the trial court erred in admitting his confession at trial because he did not validly waive his right to remain silent and his confession was involuntary. We hold that the Defendant was properly transferred to the trial court. We further hold that the Defendant validly waived his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, but his confession was unlawfully coerced in violation of the Due Process Clause and thus inadmissible at trial. Having found reversible error on that basis, we vacate the Defendant’s convictions of second-degree murder and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

The grandmother of a man who died while incarcerated at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center has filed a federal lawsuit against the county. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, Joseph Adam Denton died in May 2025 after choking on a chicken meal while in custody. The lawsuit states Denton had previously had all of his teeth removed and had requested a soft diet before his incarceration. The complaint alleges other inmates attempted to alert guards and medical staff when Denton began choking and claims jail personnel failed to intervene until after he lost consciousness, briefly regained consciousness and later went into cardiac arrest. The lawsuit alleges violations of Denton’s constitutional rights and Tennessee law and seeks $5 million in damages.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen has asked President Donald Trump to commute the sentences of all federal inmates serving time for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses, according to a letter posted on social media and reported on by the Commercial Appeal. Cohen and eight other members of Congress wrote that approximately 3,000 people are federally incarcerated on nonviolent marijuana convictions and urged the administration to provide reentry services for those granted commutations. Cohen, a Democrat who has represented Memphis in the U.S. House of Representatives for 19 years, announced in May that he will not seek reelection. During his time in Congress, Cohen has co-sponsored multiple bills aimed at legalizing marijuana.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday vacated the second-degree murder convictions of Antonio Demetrius Adkisson, holding that his confession was involuntary and should not have been admitted at trial. In 2017, the 17-year-old was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Milan, tried as an adult after a juvenile court transfer and ultimately convicted by a jury of two counts of second-degree murder. The court upheld the transfer decision and found that Adkisson had validly waived his Miranda rights, but ruled that his confession was nonetheless involuntary under the totality of the circumstances, constituting a violation of the Fifth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution. As a result, the court vacated his convictions and remanded the case for further proceedings, over a partial dissent from Justice Sarah Campbell arguing that the confession was not unconstitutionally coercive. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker recently heard arguments over the constitutionality of Tennessee’s 2024 bail law, which prohibits judicial commissioners from considering a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail, the Daily Memphian reports. The lawsuit, filed by Just City and the American Civil Liberties Union, argues the law unfairly keeps low-income defendants jailed before trial because they cannot afford release. Plaintiffs contend the law removes critical judicial discretion and creates wealth-based detention, while attorneys for the state and Shelby County argued the statute remains constitutional because judges may still consider a defendant’s financial condition when assessing bail. Parker did not immediately rule and said he would issue a written decision at a later date.

State Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, launched his campaign Thursday for Tennessee’s newly drawn 7th Congressional District, according to NewsChannel 5. Dixie, who has represented House District 54 since 2018, said his campaign will focus on voting rights and issues affecting working families. The newly drawn district includes part of Nashville and extends farther east. Dixie will face fellow Democrats Darden Copeland, Saletta Holloway and Joshua Warren Sales in the Aug. 6 primary. Republican Matt Van Epps is running unopposed in the Republican primary. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.

The TBA YLD will host the webcast “Drug Court 101” in recognition of National Treatment Court Month. The program will provide an overview of Tennessee’s recovery courts, historically known as drug courts, and will cover recovery court practices, the Tennessee Drug Court Treatment Act, addiction and brain science, best practices for working with participants with substance use disorders, and the challenges and successes of the drug court model. The webcast is designed to help attorneys effectively represent clients and is open to all lawyers, particularly criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, juvenile and family law attorneys, and general civil practitioners. The CLE will be moderated by Hamilton County Circuit Judge and TBA Young Lawyers Division President Alex McVeagh and will feature Shannon Morgan, director of Hamilton County Accountability Courts. More information and registration are available on the TBA website.

Frank Gibson, founder and former executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG), died earlier this month. Gibson, a longtime Tennessee journalist and advocate for government transparency, founded the coalition in 2003 and served as its executive director until 2011, later remaining active on its board. During his career, he worked for more than four decades as a journalist at The Tennessean, serving as a reporter, city editor and political editor, and later became public policy director for the Tennessee Press Association. Gibson was widely recognized for his work advancing Tennessee’s public records and open meetings laws, including helping draft reforms to the Tennessee Public Records Act and co-authoring “Keys to Open Government,” a guide to the state’s sunshine laws.

The latest episode of BarBuzz recognizes National Treatment Court Month by highlighting the work of Tennessee’s recovery courts, mental health courts and veterans treatment courts. Hosted by TBA Communications Coordinator Azya Thornton, the episode features Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judges Tim Easter, Tom Greenholtz, Steven Sword and Stacy Street discussing accountability, rehabilitation and long-term recovery within Tennessee’s justice system. The judges share perspectives from their experiences in prosecution, private practice, education and the trial bench while discussing the structure of treatment courts, the role attorneys play in advocating for participants, and the challenges and successes of recovery-focused programs. The episode also highlights the TBA Young Lawyers Division’s upcoming webcast moderated by Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge and TBA YLD President Alex McVeagh alongside Hamilton County Accountability Courts Director Shannon Morgan. Listen to this episode on the TBA’s website or directly here.

The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners is seeking licensed Tennessee attorneys to serve as volunteers to conduct Character and Fitness interviews of applicants to the Tennessee bar. Eligible attorneys must be licensed and in good standing in Tennessee, have been admitted to practice for at least five years, reside in Tennessee and not teach in any capacity at a law school. Volunteers are appointed to a five-year term and may be reappointed for one additional five-year term. All appointments are subject to approval by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Those interested in serving or who would like to nominate an eligible attorney to serve, should complete and submit the Volunteer Interest Form by June 30.