The Defendant, Landon Hank Black, was convicted in the Knox County Criminal Court of second degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and received an effective sentence of twenty-five years in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the State infringed on his right to remain silent; the trial court erred by allowing a State witness to give opinion testimony but then prohibiting a defense witness from doing the same; the trial court erred by allowing a State witness to testify that she had sex with the Defendant just days after the victim’s death; the State was allowed to attack the integrity of the defense during the presentation of the evidence; the State’s closing arguments were improper; the trial court erred by instructing the jury that the Defendant had a duty to retreat before acting in self-defense; the trial court erred by refusing to give a modified sequential jury instruction; the trial court incorrectly instructed the jury on voluntary manslaughter; and the cumulative effect of the errors requires a new trial. Based upon the oral arguments, the record, and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Smith has officially launched his bid to be elected Tennessee’s District 68 state representative. He is seeking to replace Curtis Johnson, the long-time representative who recently announced his pending retirement. Clarksville Online has more on the campaign.

Dozens of officials and community members gathered in front of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court recently to celebrate the launch of a Safe Baby Court, the Times Free Press reports. Under the program, parents work with a team of professionals, including case managers, welfare workers, developmental specialists and attorneys to find the best placement for their infants and toddlers. In 2017, Tennessee passed legislation to create the "Zero to Three Court Initiative" to improve the outcome for children under age four. About 1,000 children have been involved in the program across the state since its creation.

The trial court terminated a father’s parental rights to two minor children on the grounds of abandonment and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody of or financial responsibility for the children. We reverse the trial court’s ruling as to abandonment but affirm the trial court’s ruling as to the father’s failure to manifest an ability and willingness. Because we also conclude that terminating the father’s parental rights is in the children’s best interests, we affirm the trial court’s ultimate ruling.

A conservative group in Wisconsin has filed complaints against the American Bar Association (ABA), a federal magistrate judge in Minnesota and three law schools alleging bias in hiring programs for students. According to Bloomberg Law, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the complaints with the U.S. Justice and Education departments, claiming that the programs violate federal law by targeting applicants based on race, age and sexual orientation. The law schools targeted were South Texas College, the University of the Pacific and Willamette University.

This appeal involves claims of breach of contract and employment discrimination filed by a graduate student/teaching assistant at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The plaintiff claimed that he was fired for discriminatory reasons and that the University of Tennessee had breached its employment contract with him. The trial court dismissed the breach of contract claim based on sovereign immunity and lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The court dismissed the employment discrimination claims by reason of the applicable statute of limitations. The plaintiff has appealed. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm.

Naussany Investments, the company trying to foreclose on and sell Graceland, is dropping its effort, according to the Daily Memphian. The move comes after Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins this morning postponed a planned auction. Naussany claims that Lisa Marie Presley failed to repay a $3.8 million loan she took out in 2018 using the property as collateral. Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough sued Naussany after news of the sale broke. She claims the loan documents involving her mother had been forged.

A new Vanderbilt University poll, which surveyed 1,003 registered voters in Tennessee, found that those who favor a woman’s right to an abortion slightly outnumber those who do not — a change from recent years, Axios reports. The poll also found that voters on a bipartisan basis support in vitro fertility treatments. With regard to gun control legislation, most Tennesseans favor keeping guns away from people who are a danger to themselves or others, but are split on allowing teachers to carry concealed guns on school campuses. Other notable findings show low approval for state government and majority approval for legalizing recreational cannabis. WKRN reports on that finding.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met yesterday in Gallatin to consider nine applicants for a circuit court judge vacancy in the 18th Judicial District, which serves Sumner County. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the commission selected the following three nominees to forward to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration: 18th Judicial District Assistant District Attorneys Jennifer S. Nichols and Tara A. Wyllie, and Sumner County Circuit Court Clerk Kathryn Strong. The new judicial position was created by the Tennessee General Assembly through Public Chapter No. 600, enacted on March 27. The position will be effective as of Sept. 1.

The TBA and the Tennessee Alliance of Black Lawyers (TABL) will host a joint CLE during next month’s TBA Convention focused on the nuanced relationship between criminal justice and other areas of the law. The program will take place on June 13 from 4-5:30 p.m. CDT in the Venetian Room of the Peabody Hotel. Speakers include Davidson County Magistrate Judge Jerice Glanton, Memphis-Shelby County Chief Magistrate Judge Aftan Strong, Johnika Geeter with the Geeter Law Office, and Will Perry with Butler Snow. Princess Rogers, with the Davidson County District Attorney’s office, will moderate the discussion. Learn more about this and other CLE being offered at the annual Convention.