The petitioner, Madaryl Hampton, appeals the denial of his post-conviction petition, arguing the post-conviction court erred in finding he received the effective assistance of counsel. After our review of the record, briefs, and applicable law, we affirm the denial of the petition.

A Hancock County Criminal Court jury convicted the defendant, Ricky Rex Corlew, as charged of allowing a dog to run at large causing serious bodily injury, a Class E felony. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-408(b), (g)(4) (Supp. 2021). Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court ordered Corlew to serve two years in confinement and to pay the $3000 fine set by the jury. On appeal, Corlew argues that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction because it supported his affirmative defense that he exercised reasonable care in attempting to confine or control his dog. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

A mother appeals the termination of her parental rights to her child. The chancery court found clear and convincing evidence of two statutory grounds for termination. The court also determined termination was in the child’s best interest. After a thorough review, we agree and affirm.

The U.S. Supreme Court will begin a new term on Oct. 7. Catch up on what the justices were doing over the summer (think emergency requests, book tours and security threats) with a new episode from Bloomberg Law’s Cases and Controversies podcast. For those interested in a preview of the new term, the American Bar Association will offer a free virtual program on Oct. 1 to explore issues set to be considered, including cases involving election questions, water quality standards, the First Amendment and ghost guns. The court also will take up Tennessee’s law banning gender-related medical care for minors. “On the Docket: Looking Ahead at the New Supreme Court Term” will run from 1-2:20 p.m. EDT. Learn more or register here.

The prosecution in the federal trial against three former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols rested its case earlier today after hearing from its 19th and final witness. The trial began on Sept. 9. The Daily Memphian has a recap of each day of the trial. The Commercial Appeal also reports that the defense filed a motion for acquittal at the conclusion of the government’s case. Judge Mark S. Norris was set to hear arguments on the motion today.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and will mark the occasion with a special event on Oct. 19 at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH). The evening will run from 6:30 to 11 p.m. CDT and feature food, drinks and music by the Soul Shockers. Each attendee also will leave with a special anniversary gift. The deadline to register is Oct. 4. Learn more here and purchase tickets here.

Arizona's program that allows people who are not lawyers to co-own law firms now has more than 100 approved businesses, Reuters reports. In 2020, Arizona became the first U.S. state to eliminate rules barring non-lawyers from having an economic interest in law firms, allowing lawyers and non-lawyers to co-own legal service businesses if approved by the state's Supreme Court. The court earlier this week approved additional applications, including one from online legal services company Rocket Lawyer. Other national legal services businesses such as LegalZoom, Elevate and Axiom previously were approved. Supporters of the program argue that loosening barriers for non-lawyers to hold a stake in legal services firms can make legal advice more affordable, spur innovation and expand access to justice. Critics contend the changes can lead to abuses if providers are not fully bound by professional ethics rules. The article also looks at pilot programs in Utah, Washington State, California and Florida.

Following release of a state investigative report, which found that the Nashville District Attorney’s Office secretly recorded criminal defense attorneys, office employees and visitors, Comptroller Jason Mumpower is calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to determine if any laws were violated. Mumpower made those comments in an interview with NewsChannel 5 after Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he would not prosecute anyone. While Skrmetti said there may have been ethical breaches, he determined that “the facts and law do not provide sufficient basis for a successful criminal prosecution.” District Attorney Glenn Funk has maintained that the recordings were lawful because there is no expectation of privacy within a district attorney's office.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has updated Rule 11 of its rules to reflect the assignment of justices to the state’s various judicial districts. Jeffrey S. Bivins has replaced recently retired Roger A. Page as the justice for Circuit No. 2, which consists of the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 31st Judicial Districts. Mary L. Wagner has replaced Bivins as the justice for Circuit No. 4, which consists of the 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th and 32nd Judicial Districts. The court issued a corrected version of this order on Oct. 8. Read the order.

The TBA’s Corporate Counsel Section will hold a one-hour webcast on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on corporate governance. The program will air at 9 a.m. CDT on Oct. 25. Tune in to hear from Matt White, a shareholder with Baker Donelson and co-chair of the firm’s Financial Services Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Team, and Barbara Bennett with Frost Brown Todd, a nationally recognized health care, data privacy and AI governance attorney. The course offers one hour of dual CLE credit. Learn more and register online.