Hamilton County lawyer James Dimmett Purple Sr. was censured on Oct. 13 for failing to communicate with a client about the status of litigation and failing to adequately prepare for trial. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that Purple also took actions without the authority of his client and failed to object to key matters in a case, which resulted in prejudice against his client. Read the BPR release.

Davidson County attorney Jerry Alan Kennon was disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 14. The court found that Kennon knowingly and repeatedly violated court rules by filing four successive defective requests for temporary restraining orders with no basis in law or fact for the purpose of delaying his eviction from his home. Kennon did not respond to the complaint, did not answer the petition for discipline and did not appear at the hearing. Read the BPR notice.

A number of Tennessee-licensed lawyers have been reinstated after being administratively suspended for failure to meet CLE requirements in 2012, 2014 and 2015. They are now noted as reinstated. See the updated lists at the links above.

The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Carrie Watson Gasaway on Oct. 5 from the practice of law. Gasaway was suspended in May of 2015 after being convicted of extortion. She also engaged in theft of client money from trust, charged unreasonable fees, provided incompetent representation and more. Gasaway is the wife of Circuit Court Judge John Gasaway, who announced his retirement effective Dec. 1. The couple filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 13 in 2014. Mr. Gasaway has blamed the debt on his wife’s extortion charge and her former legal partners.

Knox County lawyer David Andrew Lufkin Sr. received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 1. The court took the action based on two complaints that Lufkin misrepresented to the court that he had not received a motion filed by opposing counsel. Lufkin submitted a conditional guilty plea acknowledging violations of Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct. Read the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 71 lawyers yesterday for failing to pay the state professional privilege tax as required by Tennessee Code Annotated 67-4-1702. Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 26, attorneys who are deemed noncompliant for 90 days or more are summarily suspended. See the online list or view the order. Those who comply with the rule will be noted as reinstated.

Memphis lawyer Jacob Edward Erwin received a public censure on Sept. 29 for failing to correct an error in a post-conviction pleading, which resulted in the case being dismissed without prejudice. The Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) also found that he failed to timely respond to disciplinary counsel during the course of the investigation. Erwin submitted a conditional guilty plea acknowledging these violations. Read the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Mitchell Stanley Givens to the practice of law to begin serving his probationary period on Sept. 22. Givens’ license was suspended for one year on Aug. 13, with 30 days to be served as an active suspension. Read the BPR release.

A number of Tennessee-licensed lawyers have been reinstated after being administratively suspended for failure to meet CLE requirements in 2014 and 2015. They are now noted as reinstated. See the updated lists at the links above.

Brenda Lee McCann, a St. Augustine, Florida, attorney who is also licensed to practice in Tennessee and Alabama, was disbarred Sept. 22 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of Florida permanently revoked McCann’s license on Oct. 30, 2014. Read the BPR release.