Hardin County Lawyer Nicholas Lee Surratt received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 20 after the court determined that he violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 3.2, 3.4(c), 8.4(d) and (g). Surratt was hired to represent a criminal defendant in appealing a conviction but failed to timely file the trial court transcript and failed to respond to the Court of Criminal Appeals about the transcript. The court then held him in willful contempt. Surratt also failed to comply with subsequent orders entered by the court establishing deadlines for filing the client’s principal brief.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 17 lifted a six-year suspension imposed on Shelby County lawyer TeShaun David Moore in 2020, retroactive to 2018. On April 9, 2024, Moore filed a petition for reinstatement. A Board of Professional Responsibility hearing panel recommended that the suspension be lifted. The court adopted that recommendation but conditioned reinstatement on Moore’s “continuing compliance with and timely satisfaction” of conditions set forth in the Oct. 17 order. The court also noted that Moore remains suspended for an administrative violation and will need to seek a separate reinstatement order to lift that suspension.

Wilson County lawyer Kyle Bates Heckman received a censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 20. The court took the action after determining that Heckmen violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d). Heckman was hired to probate a client’s late husband’s estate. He filed a petition to probate the estate and then took no further action for five years despite statements to the client that he would do so. In another client matter, Heckman failed to take steps to probate a client’s father’s estate for five months, and failed to respond to 17 emails and multiple voicemails from the client.

Shelby County lawyer Julie Byrd Ashworth was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 20. The court took the action after determining that Ashworth violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.6 and 3.5(b) when making comments during mediation and before a judge. Ashworth represented a wife in a divorce in which it was alleged that the wife had engaged in extramarital affairs. At an informal mediation and without the client’s permission, Ashworth told opposing counsel that she was aware that her client had been seen with another man. At a subsequent hearing, without opposing counsel being present, Ashworth responded to questions from the judge about her client’s alleged romantic relationship.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Maryland lawyer Mohammad Ali Syed on Oct. 9. Syed had been on inactive status since Oct. 22, 2018. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that the reinstatement petition was satisfactory and that Syed met the requirements of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, § 10.8(c).

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 9 revoked probation and suspended Davidson County lawyer Michael Lloyd Freeman from the practice of law for three years, less 112 days previously served on suspension. On June 21, 2021, Freeman was suspended for three years, with three months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation so long as he incurred no new complaints of misconduct resulting in discipline. After the three months of active suspension, Freeman was reinstated on Oct. 11. In 2022, Freeman was publicly censured on Jan. 10 and July 31. The court determined that these disciplinary actions violated the terms of probation and reinstated the full three-year suspension, minus the three months he served on active suspension in 2021.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 9 imposed a public censured on Fayette County lawyer Leslie Adkins Miller. The court found that while Miller was representing a client whose parental rights were terminated, she failed to timely file documents required by the court. This failure resulted in the client’s appeal being dismissed. The court found that Miller’s action violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 , 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d).

On Oct. 7, the Tennessee Supreme Court referred the case of Shelby County lawyer Kevin Eugene Christopher to the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). The court reports that Christopher pled guilty to one count of assault, a Class A misdemeanor, in violation of Tenn. Code. Ann. § 39- 13-101, and one count of reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor, in violation of Tenn. Code. Ann. § 39-13-103. He received diversion from the trial court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Montgomery County lawyer Joel David Ragland from the practice of law on Oct. 8. The court reports that Ragland consented to the action because he could not successfully defend himself against disciplinary charges. The court found that he misappropriated funds by writing unauthorized checks against his firm’s trust account in violation of Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 6 dissolved a temporary suspension imposed Sept. 9 on Sumner County lawyer William Shea Forgety. The suspension was imposed after Forgety failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. The court reports that Forgety now has responded to the complaint and complied with all conditions imposed by the order of suspension, and immediate dissolution of the temporary suspension is appropriate.