Tennessee

Lawyer suspended for Facebook advice on how to shoot an abuser and avoid conviction

A Nashville, Tennessee, lawyer has been suspended for advising a Facebook friend on how she could use the castle doctrine to protect herself if she shot a former boyfriend she had accused of abuse.

Jan 26, 2021 10:57 AM CST

2 more federal judges are confirmed amid COVID-19 relief package negotiations

Two more federal judges were confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday, as lawmakers rush to reach a deal on COVID-19 relief and government funding packages. President Donald Trump has now put in place 234 federal judges.

Dec 18, 2020 9:43 AM CST

For first time in history, federal government carried out more civilian executions than all 50 states

Ten federal inmates were executed this year as a result of a push by the Department of Justice, putting the total number of federal executions above that of all 50 states combined.

Dec 17, 2020 3:07 PM CST

Disciplinary counsel resigns after filing alleges he is a ‘proud anti-Muslim bigot’

A disciplinary counsel in Tennessee has resigned after a legal filing alleged that his tweets showed him to be a “proud anti-Muslim bigot.”

Dec 14, 2020 12:25 PM CST

DOJ rule change would allow some executions by firing squad and electrocution

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday published a final rule change that would allow federal executions to be carried out in any manner allowed in the state where the death sentence was imposed.

Nov 30, 2020 2:23 PM CST

Judge is reprimanded for ‘flirtatious to overtly sexual’ social media messages

A Tennessee judge has received a public reprimand for sending inappropriate messages to women on social media platforms.

Oct 12, 2020 9:40 AM CDT

Judge reprimanded for apparent KKK reference when complaining about court mask mandate

A Tennessee judge has received a public reprimand for complaining that the state supreme court’s “grand wizard” required that masks be worn in court.

Oct 6, 2020 10:17 AM CDT

Judge kicked off case after bashing 6th Circuit’s computer sophistication, refusing to budge on sentence

A federal judge in Memphis, Tennessee, has been kicked off a child pornography case after criticizing the computer sophistication of appellate judges and refusing to change the light sentence that she imposed.

Sep 15, 2020 3:02 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trump’s census count order blocked; lawyer dies by suicide as cops close in

Court blocks Trump’s census count order A special three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has blocked President Donald Trump’s order to exclude from the census count immigrants who are in the country illegally. The panel said Trump exceeded his authority when he…

Sep 11, 2020 4:12 PM CDT

New judge will hear Tennessee man’s murder appeal after first judge said he prefers Texas law

A new judge will hear a Tennessee defendant’s appeal of his murder conviction after the first judge described the state’s post-conviction process as a game and said he prefers Texas procedures.

Aug 28, 2020 1:28 PM CDT

New York announces reciprocity agreements with 9 jurisdictions while it plans online October bar exam

New York has announced reciprocity agreements with some jurisdictions also offering the October online bar exam, which will use National Conference of Bar Examiners testing materials.

Aug 19, 2020 9:56 AM CDT

Top state court reverses order that would’ve added fear of COVID-19 to absentee voting excuses

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Wednesday vacated a ruling that would have allowed all registered voters concerned over COVID-19 to vote absentee in the November 2020 presidential election.

Aug 7, 2020 12:42 PM CDT

Lawyer’s ‘colorful insults’ offer no help to arguments in antitrust suit, 6th Circuit says

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Cincinnati chastised a Tennessee lawyer for making disparaging statements against his opponents in its ruling in an antitrust lawsuit Thursday.

Jul 24, 2020 10:43 AM CDT

New York and Illinois join others moving to October online bar exam; another jurisdiction grants diploma privilege

In light of public health concerns, Illinois and New York have joined the growing list of states that canceled in-person bar exams, with plans for an October remote test offered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Jul 23, 2020 12:02 PM CDT

Tennessee cancels in-person bar exam for the second time and switches to NCBE remote test

Following a recent order that its July bar exam was rescheduled for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, the Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday canceled that test as well over public health concerns. It is now offering the online exam prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners on Oct. 5-6.

Jul 14, 2020 11:25 AM CDT