There is now a vacancy for a TBA delegate to the ABA House of Delegates (Position 1) due to Jonathan Cole’s selection to serve as chair of the ABA House of Delegates. In accordance with Articles 47 and 49 of the TBA Bylaws, the TBA Board of Governors will fill this vacancy at its Sept. 28 board meeting. The selected candidate will fill this vacancy for the remainder of the current term. To be considered for this position, email TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright with your interest by Sept. 19. Please include a resume as well as any other information you would like the Board of Governors to consider.

The Shelby County Attorney's Office has filed a motion for default judgement against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert, seeking to have her removed from office immediately, the Commercial Appeal reports. The motion, filed Friday, argues that Halbert did not file an answer to the original ouster petition in time. She did, however, file a motion to dismiss the ouster on Aug. 26. The government's latest motion argues that the dismissal motion did not qualify as an answer. The next hearing in the case is set for Sept. 13.

Over the weekend, the Tennessee Republican Party’s State Executive Committee rejected outgoing Oak Ridge Rep. John Ragan’s challenge of his August primary loss to Rick Scarbrough by a 41-7 vote, The Tennessean reports. Ragan lost his Aug. 1 primary race to Scarbrough by 258 votes. Days later, he alleged that Democrats cast "crossover" votes in the Republican primary with the purpose of defeating him. Lawmakers last year passed a new law requiring polling places to display signage warning voters it is illegal to vote in another party’s primary. According to the report, that law has drawn several legal challenges. Scarbrough remains the Republican on the ballot in November. Scarbrough now will face Democrat Anne Backus on Nov. 5.

The Tennessee Racial and Social Justice Collective will host a community roundtable discussion on Sept. 28 at Lane College in Jackson to address issues impacting Black citizens in rural West Tennessee. The event, titled "Defending DEI: Anti-Blackness and Systemic Racism in Rural West Tennessee," will feature discussions on diversity, equity and inclusion; health disparities; voting rights; economics; and the justice system. The roundtable discussion is funded in part by a grant from Humanities Tennessee and is open to the public though registration is required. Learn more and register here.

The Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) announces that Clinical Case Manager Erin Lynch has received licensure by the state of Tennessee as a professional counselor, temporary (LPC-temp) and she now will complete her remaining LPC supervision hours as a licensed therapist. Lynch joined TLAP in October 2023. Her experience includes providing comprehensive clinical services to clients struggling with mood disorders and substance use disorders. Lynch has also worked in the realms of public policy, criminal prosecution and domestic violence litigation, and she understands the mental health challenges of working in the legal profession.

Dedication, understanding, and LawPay. For Rose Immigration Law Firm, working each case with this motto in mind has helped ensure happier clients and faster payments. Watch a short video on the case study and learn about the benefits of LawPay's flexible payments. With options such as Quick Bill and QR code single-click billing, legal fee funding (which provides your firm with up-front payments while clients pay over time), and scheduled payments, your firm can experience better overall cash flow — while ensuring an exceptional client experience.

GRIFFIN, Circuit Judge. Plaintiffs are consumers who allege Strange Honey made fraudulent claims about its products. The district court dismissed plaintiffs’ claims against all but one defendant for pleading fraud-based claims without the specificity required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b), and it then denied plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend. After plaintiffs appealed, the district court formally dismissed the remaining defendant and entered final judgment. At issue is whether we possess jurisdiction to consider plaintiffs’ appeal, and, if so, whether the district court correctly granted the motions to dismiss and denied the motion for leave to amend. Because we answer both questions in the affirmative, we affirm the district court’s judgment.

A Bedford County Jury convicted Defendant, Charles Edward Young, of: (1) especially aggravated robbery; (2) first degree murder during the perpetration of a robbery; (3) premeditated first degree murder; and (4) conspiracy to commit especially aggravated robbery. The trial court imposed an effective sentence of life plus ninety years. On appeal, Defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying Defendant’s motion to suppress the evidence obtained from his cell phone; the court erred in declining to compel the State to disclose evidence pursuant to Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963); and that the jury’s verdicts are against the weight of the evidence. After review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

In March 2021, the Knox County Grand Jury issued an indictment, charging Defendant, Jason Lee Kinser, with rape and aggravated burglary. Following a trial, a jury found Defendant guilty as charged, and the trial court imposed an effective sentence of thirty years’ incarceration. On appeal, Defendant contends that he is entitled to plain error relief based upon testimony during trial that Defendant’s name was in a criminal justice database. Defendant also contends that he was under the influence of drugs during trial and was incompetent to waive his right to testify. Following a thorough review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.