A mother sought the recusal of the juvenile court judge overseeing a custody case involving her minor child. After the judge denied two recusal motions, the mother filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in the circuit court. The circuit court determined that it lacked authority to issue the writ of mandamus and dismissed the petition. The mother appealed. We affirm.

In this healthcare liability action, the trial court excluded the plaintiff’s proffered expert witness after concluding that the witness failed to satisfy the competency requirements in Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-26-115(b). Discerning no abuse of discretion, we affirm the trial court’s decision.

The Plaintiff sued a musician and the establishment where he performed for negligence after the Plaintiff climbed on stage and sustained a concussion as a result of a fall from the stage while being escorted therefrom. The jury found that the Defendants were not at fault. On appeal, the Plaintiff claims reversible error because of defense counsel’s statement during opening argument that Plaintiff hoped to be a “lottery lawsuit winner” and error in admitting evidence of medical leave benefits Plaintiff obtained from her work. We affirm.

A Brentwood man who threatened to "firebomb" the Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and Courthouse in downtown Nashville in the next two weeks was arrested Monday. Alexander F. Thompson, an attorney whose license was suspended in 2022, was charged with making a threat of terrorism and a false report. He is being held on a $100,000 bond and is not eligible for release until his mental health is evaluated. WSMV has the story.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Civil Rights and Social Justice Section will host a free two-day virtual boot camp titled “The Civil Rights Lawyer Boot Camp” on March 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST and March 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT. The webinar is designed to help those interested in civil rights issues better understand how to advocate for justice, equality, legal rights and protections. The sessions are open to law students, recent law graduates, public service lawyers, other working or retired attorneys, and lawyers from any background.

A dozen federal offices are slated for lease termination in Tennessee, including the Social Security Administration (SSA) office in Nashville. The SSA explains: “Most of the leases we are not renewing are for small remote hearing sites that are co-located with other Federal space ... Other offices are non-public facing, being consolidated into nearby locations, or we had planned to close.” Other federal offices targeted for lease terminations in Tennessee include a 135,000 square-foot IRS office in Franklin and a 17,000-square-foot IRS space in Chattanooga; a 1,000-square-foot Department of Homeland Security border patrol field operations office in Chattanooga; an Occupational Health and Safety Office in Nashville; Food and Drug Administration offices in Memphis and Nashville; and a Mine Safety Health and Administration office in Knoxville. Tennessee Lookout has more on the plans.

TBA YLD District Representative Grace Burnett held an Essential Documents for Essential Workers (EDEW) clinic at the Sumner County Sheriff's Office to provide free wills, health care power of attorneys, financial power of attorneys and advanced directives for the officers. Five lawyers volunteered their time for the clinic. Students from the Nashville School of Law and other professionals also served as witnesses and notaries. Seven officers were served at the clinic, which resulted in $5,500 in free legal services. See photos from the clinic.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will host a new installment in its Rookie Series on April 4 at noon CDT. "Beyond the Courtroom: Exploring Different Career Paths with a Law Degree" will feature a panel of young attorneys who are shaping their careers in fields beyond the courtroom. From in-house counsel and lobbying, to sitting on the bench as a judge and working in academia, panelists in a variety of fields will offer insights into the wide range of opportunities available to law students and young attorneys. The program is free for all TBA members. CLE credit is available for a fee of $50. Get more information and register.

The March/April issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is now available online. Enjoy J. Hunter Robinson and Erik Halvorson's cover story on the Case v. Wilmington decision by the Tennessee Supreme Court, David Hudson Jr. and Bill Spaniard's look at remorse in lawyer disciplinary hearings, and columns by Buddy Stockwell, Wade Davies and Russell Fowler. TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. reminds readers that lawyers can have a profound effect on their communities through active engagement in local initiatives and civic activities. Also get plenty of news in The Legal Life, including announcements of future leadership, an upgraded legal research tool launch, a tiny new addition to the TBA staff, mock trial information, an update on the Justice Drowota Trust and more!

THAPAR, Circuit Judge. This case forces us to confront the tragic consequences of a child rapist’s illegal crossings into the United States. After Rene Ramirez Gomez unlawfully entered the United States, he raped his biological daughter multiple times. After serving a short state-court sentence, he was deported. But he returned—crossing the border illegally yet again. Operating under a false name, Ramirez Gomez sexually abused the three young children of his new girlfriend. Indiana charged him for those offenses, while the federal government charged him with failure to register as a sex offender and with illegal re-entry into the United States. Ramirez Gomez pled guilty to the federal charges and was sentenced to 51 months in prison, to be served on top of his anticipated state-court sentence. He now brings two procedural challenges to his federal sentence. Ramirez Gomez raped his own daughter, was deported, and then returned only to molest three more children. As the district court put it, Ramirez Gomez is a “complete predator on minor kids.” R. 51, Pg. ID 722. For the reasons set forth above, we reject Ramirez Gomez’s challenges to his 51-month federal sentence for (a) failing to register as a sex offender and (b) illegally re-entering the United States as a previously deported alien.