The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a phone scam accusing them of shirking jury duty. A recent victim told the department that an unknown caller threatened them with arrest and used real personal information to pressure them into compliance. The sheriff’s office says real officers will never demand cash payment to avoid arrest, issue a “gag order” over the phone or threaten additional charges for hanging up. They urge residents who receive suspicious calls to hang up and reach out directly to the sheriff’s office. News Channel 5 has more on the scam.

Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County General Sessions Court has announced the hiring of its first court social worker, Laura Frazier, a move court leaders say will help connect individuals with critical services while navigating legal proceedings. Fox17 reports that Frazier's responsibilities include helping connect individuals with resources such as housing assistance, food programs, health care, mental health services, employment support and other community-based services. Presiding Judge Robin Kimbrough Hayes said in a statement, "Social workers bring vital human context to the adversarial court system. ... By bridging the gap between legal proceedings and human needs, they advocate for clients, provide holistic assessments, and guide vulnerable individuals through the complexities of the justice system." Frazier previously worked with Nashville's Shelter Court, where she helped people experiencing homelessness access services and community programs.

OpenAI has hired Ironclad co-founder and former CEO Jason Boehmig to lead a new legal vertical, marking the AI company's direct entry into the market for legal-specific tools. Boehmig, a former corporate attorney who co-founded contract management platform Ironclad in 2014 and recently transitioned to executive chairman there, said he sees the legal industry as more dynamic than ever as firms, in-house teams and law schools all grapple with generative AI. The move follows similar pushes into legal tech by Anthropic, which launched a suite of legal plug-ins for Claude earlier this year, and Microsoft, which released an AI legal agent within Word in April. Law.com has more on the story.

Retired U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla died May 15 at age 79. A visitation will be held on June 13 from 10 to 10:45 a.m. CDT at Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1720 Peabody Ave., Memphis 38104 in Trezevant Hall. At 11 a.m., a funeral service will celebrate the lives of McCalla and his wife, Mary, who died in April. A reception will follow at the University Club of Memphis, 1346 Central Ave., Memphis 38104. Memorial gifts may be made to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Otolaryngology Advancement Fund; Historic Archives of Rosemark and Environs Inc. by mail to 8671 Rosemark Rd., Millington, TN 38053; or Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church online or by mail at the address above.

According to a statement released on May 21, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, has introduced six articles of impeachment against U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Local Memphis reports that Cohen claims Roberts has committed high crimes and misdemeanors by "violating the Constitution, disregarding his statutory obligations as Chief Justice, and breaching his oaths of office." Specifically, the articles assert that Roberts has allowed the court to become a partisan force and has "systematically preferred the powerful over the people" and delivered "arbitrary, unexplained, and inconsistent decisions that violate the Constitutional protection of the parties." No co-sponsors have come forward so far but Newsweek reports that the effort reflects widespread Democratic frustration with recent rulings. In previous remarks Roberts has pushed back against characterizations of the court as politically motivated.

Can't join us for the full TBA Convention this month? Or maybe you need to add a guest ticket for a specific event? Individual tickets now are available for purchase for the following events: Wednesday's opening reception; Thursday's Public Service Breakfast, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Breakfast, TBA's Tech Showcase and the evening reception at Smokies stadium; and Friday's breakfast and Lawyers Luncheon. Buy tickets here.

Senior Judge Don R. Ash has been assigned to oversee the cases of 11 current and former Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) employees, including former Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones, indicted on charges of conspiring to illegally spend drug funds and misuse department staff time. According to WBIR, Ash was assigned because Knox County judicial personnel have personal connections to several defendants. Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen similarly recused herself, and Steven Crump, executive director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, has been appointed district attorney general pro tem. The indictments — stemming from a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe built on a prior federal investigation — came shortly after a county Republican primary in which two of the defendants ran for sheriff. That race ultimately was won by a KCSO employee who was not among those charged. Knox News has more on the case.

Starting July 1, the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission will begin enforcing a 2025 law that effectively will ban THCA and similar popular hemp-derived products. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the ban is expected to heavily impact an industry that had grown significantly since 2018. Experts project severe economic consequences — including a drop in state hemp tax projections from over $55 million to under $10 million — given that THCA alone accounts for roughly 75% of hemp sales. Meanwhile, broader uncertainty looms as federal reclassification of marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 and removal of a state provision that would have triggered a medical marijuana review leave Tennessee's long-term cannabis policy unresolved. The news outlet reports that medical marijuana legislation is anticipated to be introduced when the state legislature reconvenes in January 2027.

The TBA will host its annual Real Estate Essentials program virtually on June 3 from noon to 3:15 p.m. CDT, offering an introductory overview of key topics in real estate law. The program will cover the fundamentals of commercial real estate in its first session, followed by a discussion of FIRPTA, FinCEN and cash reporting requirements. The course will feature presentations from Andy Maloney of Andy Maloney Law in Brentwood and Kirby Yost of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel in Chattanooga. The program is designed for attorneys seeking a foundational understanding of real estate practice.

Tennessee voters are expected to consider a proposed constitutional amendment in November that would expand judges' authority to deny bail before trial in certain serious criminal cases, according to KnoxTNToday. Under current law, most defendants have a constitutional right to bail except in capital cases when the evidence is especially strong. The proposed amendment would allow judges to deny bail in cases involving offenses such as terrorism, second-degree murder, aggravated rape and other serious crimes requiring a convicted defendant to serve at least 85% of a sentence. The measure would not automatically deny bail but would give judges broader discretion to do so after reviewing the facts of a case. The amendment would also require judges and magistrates to publicly explain the reasons for granting or denying bail in qualifying cases. This past spring, the General Assembly approved placing the amendment on the gubernatorial ballot.