The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended California attorney Dale Gerard Nowicki from the practice of law in Tennessee for two years, with 90 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation with certain conditions. The court took the action on May 13 after the Supreme Court of California imposed the same discipline on Jan. 6. The Tennessee court made the action retroactive to the date of the California order.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Hamilton County lawyer Arthur C. Grisham Jr. from the practice of law for five years on May 13. The court took the action based on complaints from two clients that he failed to reasonably communicate with clients regarding the status of their case; act in a diligent manner; expedite clients’ litigation; abide by court orders; provide required information to successor attorneys; and safeguard client funds. He also charged unreasonable fees and abused his position as an executor by withdrawing estate funds without court order, which caused estate insolvency. Grisham agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4. The court also imposed a condition on any future reinstatement, requiring Grisham to pay restitution to the clients. Also, following any reinstatement, he must use a practice monitor for one year.

Shelby County voters in 2026 will decide whether to amend the county's charter to change conflict-of-interest language. The Commercial Appeal reports that the ordinance, passed last week by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, came about after the indictment of Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. for bribery and tax evasion related to a kickback scheme involving county grants. The current county charter states that no officer or employee of Shelby County, elected or appointed, shall "in any manner whatsoever be interested in or receive any benefit from the profits of or emoluments," as it relates to contracts, jobs or work of the county. The change would make the language more specific, stating in part that no county employee or officer shall "have a direct or indirect interest in any outside contract, job, work or service for the county unless otherwise permitted by applicable state law." It also specifically states no officer or employee of the county may accept any service or item of substantial financial value from any person having dealings with the county.

In 2013, a Madison County jury convicted the Petitioner, Demarcus Keyon Cole, of first degree felony murder and especially aggravated robbery, and the trial court imposed a life sentence. The Petitioner challenged the sufficiency of the evidence, and this court affirmed his convictions. State v. Cole, No. W2013-02850-CCA-R3-CD, 2016 WL 2859196 (Tenn. Crim. App. Dec. 22, 2014), perm. app. denied (Tenn. 2015). The Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for post-conviction relief, and multiple petitions for writ of error coram nobis, which alleged the discovery of various forms of new evidence. Cole v. State, No. W2024-00697-CCA-R3-ECN, 2025 WL 884073 (Tenn. Crim. App., March 21, 2025). The Petitioner filed two more petitions for error coram nobis, both of which were denied by the coram nobis court and which have been consolidated for the purposes of this appeal. The Petitioner also filed a motion to recuse, which was not heard by the coram nobis court. The Petitioner appeals, arguing that the coram nobis court erred by denying relief and by failing to rule on the motion to recuse. We affirm the judgment of the coram nobis court in case number C-24-132. In case number C-24-151, the coram nobis court did not rule on the Petitioner’s motion to recuse, and accordingly, we remand the case to the coram nobis court for a ruling on the Petitioner’s motion.

Defendant, Love T. Anderson, was convicted by a Lauderdale County jury of one count of aggravated child abuse, one count of aggravated child neglect, and two counts of aggravated child endangerment. The trial court imposed an effective fifteen-year sentence. On appeal, Defendant asserts 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.

A father appeals the termination of his parental rights for abandonment by an incarcerated parent, persistence of conditions, and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody of his child. Discerning no error, we affirm.

In this appeal from the trial court’s 2024 final order disposing of her untimely motion, Appellant fails to properly cite to the record or legal authority and offers no argument that does not stem from alleged errors in the trial court’s 2008 child custody modification or 2012 child support order. Because these procedural and substantive deficiencies prevent effective appellate review, this appeal is dismissed.

A crime victim filed a tort action against a city under the Governmental Tort Liability Act, alleging police misconduct. Arguing that it was immune from liability for the alleged misconduct, the city moved to dismiss the complaint. The trial court dismissed the complaint with prejudice. We conclude that the city is immune from liability for the asserted negligence under the public duty doctrine and that the allegations in the complaint do not support application of the special duty exception. So we affirm the dismissal.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will meet in June to consider applicants for two judicial vacancies. On June 10, it will meet in Lewis County to consider six applicants for a circuit and chancery court judgeship in the 32nd Judicial District, which includes Hickman, Lewis and Perry counties. On June 17, it will meet in Knoxville to consider eight applicants for a criminal court seat in the 6th Judicial District, which covers Knox County. Both meetings are open to the public, and individuals may submit oral or written comments regarding any applicant. The commission is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and will forward three nominees for each vacancy to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration.

TBA’s International Law Section will host a webinar June 19 on insights into how to navigate the changes within the 2025 global market. The program will explore current and evolving trends in U.S. tariffs and customs, offering legal professionals guidance on navigating trade disruptions and ensuring compliance. The panel will be led by TBA International Law Section Chair Terry Olsen and will feature George Phillips of Phillips Ralston and Lee Broyles, vice president of international sales at Steam Logistics. For more information and to register for this webcast visit the TBA website.