Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) recently held its annual pro bono celebration in Chattanooga. This year’s event recognized Hall of Fame inductees Nadia Oliver with the Orange Grove Center and Charles Sereebutra with CBL Properties, both of Chattanooga, for their dedication to serving neighbors in need. The Charles W. “Buz” Dooley Pro Bono Attorneys Hall of Fame Celebration also featured Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight Tarwater as the 2025 distinguished guest. The event also was attended by local attorneys, judges, firm partners, paralegals and donors. See photos from the celebration.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) held its Annual Meeting last month. During the event, leaders presented a number of awards. Shea Wellford, a shareholder with Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston, received the MBA’s highest award, the Judge Jerome Turner Lawyer’s Lawyer Award. The award recognizes a Memphis attorney who has practiced law for more than 15 years and embodies professionalism, civility and courtesy. In addition, Natalie Bursi, a shareholder with Lewis Thomason, received the Sam A. Myar Jr. Memorial Award, which honors an attorney under 40 years old who has shown dedication and commitment to the legal profession and local community. Finally, outgoing president Lauran Stimac presented President’s Awards to Lucie Brackin and Terrence Reed for their service as co-chairs of the MBA’s Leadership Forum and for revitalizing the mentorship program. See photos from the event or read more in a press release from the group.

ALICE M. BATCHELDER, Circuit Judge. In this case, a jury convicted a former county prosecutor on charges of Honest Services Wire Fraud, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 &1346, violations of the Travel Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1952(a)(3), and Federal Program Bribery, 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B). On appeal, the former prosecutor challenges both his conviction and sentence. We affirm.

KAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge. A jury convicted Jason Florence of one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a)(5)(B) and 2252A(b)(2). Prior to trial, the parties stipulated that Florence was previously convicted of possession and attempted possession of child pornography in 2015 and that Florence was on supervised release at the time of the conduct giving rise to the instant offense. At sentencing, the district court judge determined that Florence’s prior conviction rendered him subject to a statutory mandatory-minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(b)(2). The court subsequently sentenced Florence to that minimum followed by a life term of supervised release. On appeal, Florence argues that his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights under Alleyne v. United States and Erlinger v. United States were violated by the failure to charge his prior conviction in the indictment and submit the fact of his prior conviction to the jury. He further argues that the district court erred by allowing his probation officer to testify about whether the officer believed that Florence was truthful when Florence told him about the provenance of the cell phone on which the child pornography was found. Finally, Florence challenges the district court’s imposition of a life term of supervised release as both procedurally and substantively unreasonable. For the reasons below, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

HERMANDORFER, Circuit Judge. This appeal stems from a gang war that unleashed mayhem and murder in the Memphis suburbs. For years, a group known as the Junk Yard Dogs—itself an offshoot of a gang called the Almighty Vice Lord Nation—sought to preserve its reputation and power by warring with rival gangs. Junk Yard Dogs members filled defined ranks, paid dues, and executed top-down orders to target rival gang members with violence. Their rivals would respond in kind, and the cycle would repeat. Those back-and-forth tensions boiled over in the summer of 2020. Over three months, the Junk Yard Dogs alone carried out five separate shootings that injured eleven victims and caused one death. In 2023, federal prosecutors obtained a grand-jury indictment against 15 of the Junk Yard Dogs. All but one were convicted of crimes ranging from racketeering conspiracy to murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering to firearm offenses—most by guilty plea. These appeals feature three Junk Yard Dogs members who instead went to trial: Tomarcus Baskerville, Thomas Smith, and Courtland Springfield. After lengthy proceedings, a jury convicted each of various racketeering, murder, and firearms crimes. Their appeals now raise six issues involving sufficiency-of-the-evidence challenges and alleged constitutional and sentencing errors. We affirm all of the defendants’ convictions. But consistent with the Government’s confession of sentencing error, we vacate Smith’s sentence and remand for resentencing.

Appellant, Shamika Sykes, has appealed an order of the Shelby County Probate Court that was entered on March 13, 2025. We determine that the trial court’s order does not constitute a final appealable judgment. As a result, this Court lacks jurisdiction to consider this appeal. The appeal is, therefore, dismissed.

Jason Scott Mangrum, a lawyer in Williamson County, received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 7. Following the residential foreclosure of and service of a detainer warrant upon an individual, Mangrum represented the person in an action for wrongful foreclosure and breach of contract. The court found that Mangrum improperly included in the complaint a claim that the opposing party’s actions constituted deceptive business practices permitting treble damages under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which under Tennessee law does not apply in foreclosure proceedings. The court determined that the claim had no merit and misrepresented to the client what recovery they might receive. In negotiations, Mangrum suggested a settlement offer to his client that he issued to opposing counsel but later asserted that the offer was grossly excessive in light of the facts and applicable law. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 3.1 and 8.4(d).

Shelby County lawyer Curtis Douglas Johnson received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 7. In representing a client in a bankruptcy matter, the court found that Johnson failed to communicate with his client and failed to respond to multiple requests for information, violating Rule of Professional Conduct 1.4.

The TBA Tort & Insurance Law Section will hold its 2026 forum on Feb. 19 as a live virtual event. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST and feature sessions on navigating court approval of minor settlements, medical malpractice and ethical issues in the public adjuster industry. Two general hours and one dual hour of CLE credit are available. Speakers include Paige Goodwin and Jordan Neiderland with Rainey Kizer Reviere & Bell, Raymond Lewallen with Arnett Baker Draper & Hagood, and Christopher Vrettos with Gideon Cooper & Essary. Section members receive discounted rates. Not a section member yet? Join here. Learn more and register for the forum on the TBA CLE website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 7 suspended Davidson County lawyer Mickie Smith Daugherty from the practice of law for six years, retroactive to Aug. 20, 2024. The suspension is conditioned on Daugherty’s cooperation with the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) and compliance with terms and conditions imposed by the Maury County Circuit Court. On Sept. 3, 2024, Daugherty pled guilty to one count of theft of property and one count of forgery, both Class C felonies, and was ordered to pay restitution of $35,000 to Culleoka Athletic Booster Club. She received judicial diversion and was placed on probation for a period of four years and six months. Daugherty paid full restitution before she was sentenced. She agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging her conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional 8.4(c).