The defendant, William Read, appeals the order of the trial court revoking his probation and ordering him to serve the remainder of his eleven-year and six-month sentence in confinement. Upon our review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we dismiss the appeal as untimely.

A Madison County jury convicted the defendant, Terrion Avantae Jones, of one count of possession of marijuana with intent to sell, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, for which he received an effective sentence of four years to be served as three years in confinement at 100% with the remainder to be served on supervised probation. On appeal, the defendant argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress. He also contends the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support his convictions. After reviewing the record and considering the applicable law, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Defendant, Kevin Harris, appeals his Cheatham County convictions for aggravated sexual battery and rape of a child. He contends on appeal that: (1) the trial court erred in admitting the victim’s forensic interview; (2) the evidence was insufficient to establish penetration; and (3) the prosecutor committed multiple instances of improper argument during closing by (a) commenting on Defendant’s failure to testify and (b) vouching for the victim’s credibility. After review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The petitioner, Jaquarious D. Carpenter, appeals the denial of his petition for post- conviction relief, arguing the post-conviction court erred in finding he received the effective assistance of counsel. Following our review, we affirm the denial of the petition.

In this parental termination case, the mother appeals the termination of her parental rights to her child, Heavenly M. The trial court found that four grounds for termination had been proven and that termination of her parental rights was in the child’s best interests. The mother appealed. We affirm the trial court’s finding that four grounds were properly pled and proven: the grounds of abandonment for failure to support, abandonment for failure to visit, persistence of conditions, and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume legal and physical custody of the child. We also affirm the finding that termination of the mother’s parental rights is in the child’s best interest. Accordingly, we affirm the termination of the mother’s parental rights.

About 30 religious organizations sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in federal court Tuesday, challenging its recent decision to conduct immigration raids in places of worship. According to Bloomberg Law, the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia claims the revocation of a previous DHS policy that restricted immigration enforcement in or near places of worship violates the First Amendment's freedom of religion protections and other federal laws. The new lawsuit echoes and expands on arguments made in a similar lawsuit filed Jan. 27 by five Quaker congregations, which is currently pending in U.S. District Court in Maryland. A memorandum filed last week by the Department of Justice, opposing the thrust of the Quaker lawsuit, outlined further arguments that may also apply to the new lawsuit, AP News reports. The memo suggests that the plaintiffs' request to block the new enforcement policy is based on speculation of hypothetical future harm, making it insufficient grounds for issuing an injunction.

The 2025 Business Law Forum will take place on April 24 in Nashville, offering a full day of education and networking for Tennessee's business law community. The event will feature two sessions: "TN Business Law 101" in the morning, aimed at early career professionals and seasoned practitioners looking for a refresher, and "Advanced Topics" in the afternoon for those dealing with more complex legal issues. The morning session will cover topics like Tennessee-specific laws in debt financing and M&A transactions, entity formation and drafting lessons through a multi-firm panel. The afternoon will feature Vice Chancellor Travis Laster from the Delaware Chancery Court, followed by discussions on tax provisions in LLC and partnership agreements, and the ethics challenges of entity formation. Attendees can register for the full day or choose to attend just the morning or afternoon sessions based on their interests. For more information and to register for this event, visit TBA’s website. 

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and key Republican senators are deflecting calls to impeach judges who have temporarily sided with challenges to halt White House initiatives. “That will not happen now,” Bondi said at a Justice Department news conference on Wednesday. “We’re going to follow the law right now. We’re going to follow the process. These are federal judges with lifetime appointments.” Bloomberg Law also reports that key Senate Republicans defended the power of the courts to rule against the president. “We’ve got a system of checks and balances, and that’s what I see working. I learned in 8th grade civics about checks and balances and I expect the process to work its way out,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley told reporters. The response comes as some legislators and members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have called on Congress to impeach judges who rule against the president.

TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast features attorneys and lobbyists Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC and Brad Lampley of Adams and Reese. In the most recent episode, they discuss key topics including Gov. Bill Lee's State of the State address, SB1052 and HB1355 on token financial support by a biological father, SB541/HB906 on claims of creditors filed against an estate, and SB540 and HB492 on custody determinations related to the failure to pay child support. Listeners can tune in on the TBA website at or directly through this link.

The TBA's continuing efforts to provide education and resources related to the state's system of appointed counsel includes the Indigent Representation Primer series, which shares background and updates about indigent representation in Tennessee. There are more than a dozen articles covering topics including the basics of the indigent representation system in Tennessee and models from other jurisdictions, as well as the kinds of cases that qualify and the processes used to appoint counsel. The primer also looks specifically at the role of guardian ad litem and the skills and training required to serve in that crucial role. Throughout the year, TBA will continue to update the primer and related resources, and we welcome member questions and observations on the topic. Additional information also is available on the TBA's Indigent Representation Resource page.