The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is currently accepting applications to fill a vacancy in the 20th Judicial District for a criminal court judge following the retirement of Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn on May 31. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee, be at least 30 years old, have been a state resident for at least five years and reside in the judicial district. Public hearings for the position will be held July 31 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Cordell Hull Building, Senate Hearing Room 1, 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Nashville 37243. Applications must be received by the commission by June 27 at noon CDT. For more information, contact Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson.

A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court ruling that a law cutting in half the size of Metro Nashville's City Council is unconstitutional. Axios Nashville reports that if the panel's 2-1 decision stands, the council would be reduced to 20 members for the 2027 election. In 2023, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law that reduced the council's size from 40 to 20 members. In 2023 and again in 2024, a court placed an injunction on that law finding it to be unconstitutional under the state's Home Rule amendment, which prohibits legislation that specifically targets one local government. The state appealed. The city could seek a review of this latest decision from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Read the ruling and the dissent.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed HB1376/SB1413, introducing strict new regulations on Tennessee’s hemp industry effective Jan. 1, 2026. The law bans THCA and synthetic cannabinoids, prohibits direct-to-consumer sales, and limits all hemp-derived cannabinoids — other than Delta-9 THC — to a maximum concentration of 0.3%. The Commercial Appeal reports that oversight of these products will shift from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which will enforce new packaging, age, licensing, taxation and marketing rules. Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, who sponsored the bill, said during debate, “We have a situation here in Tennessee where we are essentially dealing with unregulated recreational marijuana ... It’s the wild west out there.” Critics have warned that the law could hurt small business and local farmers, like this business in Clarksville, which spoke to News Channel 5.

Knox County prosecutors on Monday dropped all attempted murder charges against Ahmad Gatlin after recently discovered cell phone data corroborated his claim that he was across town when the crime was committed. Gatlin was convicted in 2023 after police and prosecutors argued he was in a car when shots were fired into another car near Austin-East Magnet High School in 2021. Knox News reports that Gatlin's defense team had argued for a new trial on the grounds that the prosecutors initially withheld evidence, including metadata from Snapchat that would have proven Gatlin's location. Prosecutors said the data was withheld in error. In a press conference after Gatlin's release, defense attorney Stephen Johnson stated, “[Ahmad] saw justice today for the first time in over four years ... We are honored to have helped bring him home.” WBIR has the story.

Judge Larry Potter established the Shelby County Environmental Court in 1983 and was appointed as its first judge, holding the position for 35 years before his retiring in 2018. Last Wednesday, current Environmental Court Judge Patrick Dandridge unveiled a portrait of Potter at 201 Poplar in a celebration of Potter's legacy as the "father of environmental court in Memphis." The court was one of the first of its kind in the country and helped set the standard in addressing environmental cases, the Commercial Appeal reports.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it is contracting with a retired judge to help reduce the jail’s population. According to the Daily Memphian, retired Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Robert “Bobby” Carter will serve as the office’s jail population management coordinator. Carter, who served as judge from 2010 to 2022, told the outlet that his goal is to reduce the jail population to 80% of capacity. As of February, the main jail had an average daily population of 2,547 inmates, though it was built to hold 2,400. Carter also said criminal cases need to move more quickly through the courts: “If we don’t change anything, if we could handle cases more efficiently, if they take a month less, that will have an aggregate effect on the jail population."

The 2025 William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award will be presented to 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge and Chancellor David Veile at the TBA’s Annual Convention by the Fellows of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD). Named for former Attorney General William M. Leech Jr., the award is given each year to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, the legal system and their community. In announcing the award, Fellows President and Jackson lawyer Michelle Greenway Sellers said, "Judge Veile truly exemplifies the values embodied in the Leech Award. He is a past president of the TBA YLD, a TBA Board of Governors member, an extremely supportive TBA YLD volunteer and a devoted community leader. Judge Veile generously gives of his time as a mentor to young lawyers, speaks at legal and community events, and volunteers at TBA YLD events such as the TBA YLD Mock Trial competition. He has spent his entire career giving back to the Tennessee legal community and to the Middle Tennessee communities he serves. The Fellows are honored to award Judge David Veile the 2025 TBA YLD Fellows William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award." Veile was elected circuit court judge and chancellor in Williamson County's 21st Judicial District in 2024. He previously practiced criminal defense law in Franklin. The award will be presented on June 13 at the Lawyers Luncheon. Read more about Veile's selection in the TBA's press release.

This week kicked off a series of ceremonies across the state for new admittees to the practice of law. Candidates who passed the February bar exam, along with others, were sworn in during a ceremony in Nashville today. Tennessee Bar Association President Ed Lanquist Jr. delivered remarks at the event, while representatives from the TBA and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to welcome the new lawyers to the profession. Tennessee Supreme Court Justices Sarah K. Campbell and Jeff Bivins presided over the ceremony. See photos from the event. The Tennessee Supreme Court will hold additional events on June 3 at 9 a.m. in Memphis and 1:30 p.m. CDT in Jackson; on June 4 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT for virtual ceremonies; and on June 9 at 9 a.m. EDT in Knoxville.

A recent investigation led by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office found that the Davis House Child Advocacy Center (DHCAC), a Franklin nonprofit that provides services to child abuse survivors, made questionable and unsupported credit card charges totaling at least $250,709, The Tennessean reports. The four-year investigation revealed the organization used two credit cards from different financial institutions for charges at upscale restaurants, retail stores and entertainment venues. According to the comptroller’s report, “Between 2020 and 2023, DHCAC spent more money than it could generate from revenue sources.” The center is funded by donations, fundraisers and government grants, with approximately 33% of its revenue during the investigative period coming from government sources. The findings have been submitted to district attorneys general in the 21st and 32nd judicial districts. The paper later reported that the center released a statement responding to concerns.

Doctors for America — a national network of more than 30,000 medical professionals — is seeking to join a Tennessee lawsuit to protect access to abortions when a woman's life or health are at risk. The organization filed a motion on May 30 to intervene in a suit brought by the Catholic Medical Association, The Tennessean reports. The association sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in January, seeking to overturn a 2022 directive that requires hospitals to provide emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Doctors for America said in its filing that it is intervening now due to the change in presidential administrations. The group, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU-TN, the National Women’s Law Center and Democracy Forward, argues that a reversal of the guidance would endanger patients and create legal uncertainty for providers. Access filings in the case from ACLU-TN.