Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston has placed his wife and brother-in-law on administrative leave after an investigative report from the state comptroller found Pinkston in violation of the state's nepotism policy, the Chattanoogan reports. According to the report, Pinkston’s wife, who serves as chief of staff, and his brother-in-law, an investigator, are both under Pinkston’s line of supervision. While the office is in violation of the state’s Nepotism Policy Act, the report states it “did not find any evidence of favoritism regarding salary increases” for either position. Pinkston announced he placed his family members on administrative leave and said he is “reviewing the recommendations of the comptroller’s office.”

Three state residents have filed a lawsuit over the new House and Senate redistricting maps, the Tennessean reports. The complaint, backed by the Tennessee Democratic Party, alleges the General Assembly unconstitutionally divided more counties than necessary in the House map and numbered Senate districts nonconsecutively. The suit does not challenge the state’s new congressional map. "Tennesseans should pick their own representatives and not the other way around," Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Hendrell Remus said in a statement. According to WPLN, the state Democratic Party has agreed to pay all fees associated with litigation in the case. Republicans have maintained the maps are constitutional and meet all legal requirements. The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office said it is “ready to defend an open and fair process.”

The YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee hosted its 30th Anniversary of the Academy for Women of Achievement (AWA) this week with three Nashville lawyers among those honored: Dr. Glenda Glover, president, Tennessee State University; Diane Lance, department head, Metro Nashville Office of Family Safety; and DarKenya Waller, executive director, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands. AWA was launched locally in 1992 to honor women "who, through excellence and leadership in their chosen fields, serve as role models for other women.” The event also celebrated Wanda Lyle, UBS Nashville Business Solution Center (retired), Metro Nashville/Davidson County Councilmember Zulfat Suara and corporate honoree MP&F Strategic Communications. This year’s honorees join a prestigious group of 179 women and 31 organizations previously inducted into the AWA.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 26 attorneys last week for failure to pay the annual registration fee. Thirteen of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the Feb. 16 fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended for fee and IOLTA violations in 2022 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

Former House Speaker Beth Harwell has announced she will run for the Republican nomination in Tennessee’s redrawn 5th Congressional District, Nashville Scene reports. Harwell, a Nashville native, was elected in 1988 to represent parts of southwest Davidson County in the state House and was elected speaker in 2011. She left the House in 2018 and made an unsuccessful bid for governor. Harwell currently servces on the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority and is a former chair of the Tennessee Republican Party. She joins a crowded Republican primary, which includes educational consultant Natisha Brooks, businessman Baxter Lee, former U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, music video producer Robby Starbuck, and attorney and retired brigadier general Kurt Winstead.

TBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist tackle this week’s news from the General Assembly on the latest episode of the TBA’s Legislative Updates. New this week: a hopeful meeting with Lt. Gov. Randy McNally regarding elimination of the Professional Privilege Tax. Legislative Updates airs every Thursday on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.  

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a reinstatement petition from Texas lawyer Daniel S. Edmunds Jr. Edmunds filed the petition on Oct. 4, 2021. The Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education opposed the petition based on Edmunds’s failure to pay certain fees and penalties and comply with CLE requirements in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The Board of Professional Responsibility also opposed to the petition based on his failure to pay the required reinstatement fee. Due to these outstanding issues, the court dismissed the petition.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently rejected a conditional guilty plea and disciplinary action proposed by the Board of Professional Responsibility against Williamson County lawyer Melissa Ann Baker. A petition for discipline was filed against Baker on May 22, 2020. She agreed to a conditional guilty plea on Nov. 18, 2021. After reviewing the entire record in the matter, the court said it had concerns “that the recommended punishment, particularly the period of active suspension, is too lenient.” The court therefore rejected the plea and referred the matter back to the board for further proceedings.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued several orders yesterday transferring the law licenses of four lawyers to disability inactive status. They are Williamson County lawyer Jay Nelson Chamness, Hardeman County lawyer Karen Tucker Fleet, Wilson County lawyer Ruth Raber Murphy and Madison County lawyer Charles Michael Purcell. They may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the court for reinstatement upon showing that their disability has been removed.

May 4 started as a typical day for Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Cheryl Blackburn, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. But things took a significant turn when she suddenly was unable to use her arm and was slurring her speech. Her colleague, Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton, suspected Blackburn was having a stroke and immediately called emergency responders. The quick action paid off. Blackburn underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her brain. She was back in the office within a week. Blackburn was so touched by the swift action of everyone involved that she asked the Metropolitan County Council to adopt a resolution underscoring the importance of knowing the signs of stroke and acknowledging the lifesaving actions of Dalton and the paramedics and firefighters who attended to her.