Gov. Bill Lee has signed a new law eliminating a $350 fee property owners must pay to reclaim items seized by the government in civil asset forfeiture cases, WBIR reports. The Tennessee General Assembly had unanimously approved the measure — HB1229/SB481 — in April. Sponsored by Rep. Justin Lafferty, R-Knoxville, the law waives the fee as long as property owners go through a civil hearing to recover their property. “Tennesseans shouldn’t have to pay a fee just to reclaim their own property, especially when they were innocent bystanders, which is often the case in civil forfeiture,” Lafferty said of the law, which will take effect on July 1. The law will not affect processes associated with criminal asset forfeiture.

A Metro Nashville police whistleblower has been indicted on charges of stealing documents related to the Covenant School shooting, according to WPLN news. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents arrested retired Lt. Garet Davidson following a yearlong investigation. Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk authorized the probe in June 2024 after the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) alleged Davidson may have leaked pages from the Covenant School assailant’s journal to the Tennessee Star news outlet. Davidson, who served in the department’s Office of Professional Accountability, also accused MNPD leadership of mishandling an internal investigation into an earlier leak and claimed he faced harassment and discrimination within the department. He was booked into the Davidson County jail on a $150,000 bond.

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (GRSM) announced the opening of its newest office in Knoxville, bringing the firm’s national footprint to 83 offices across the United States. Heather Gwin, managing partner of both the Nashville and Knoxville offices, says, “Knoxville is a natural next step for our continued growth in Tennessee. We’ve built a strong foundation in the state, and this expansion allows us to deliver even more localized support to clients while leveraging the full depth of GRSM’s national platform.” The new office, located at 4315 Kingston Pike, Ste. 210, Knoxville 37919, will include five attorneys local to Knoxville and be supported by attorneys in the firm's Nashville office. Read more in a press release.

The May/June issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is now available online! This is the annual Access to Justice-focused issue, with essays highlighting how advancements in AI and technology are helping legal services organizations better serve their clients. Also included is TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr.'s final column, which offers an extensive overview of the various applications of AI in legal services, the benefits it offers, the challenges it faces and the future prospects of AI in enhancing access to justice. Eddy Smith invokes HBO's "Succession" in explaining irrevocable trusts, John Day breaks down data on civil and criminal filings and outcomes in the state court system, Marlene Eskind Moses and Ansley Ownes Tillett explain the implications of the Tennessee Supreme Court's decision in Trezvant v. Trezvant, and members of TBA's Access to Justice Committee share their memorable pro bono opportunities.

Gov. Bill Lee has issued the first veto of his six-year administration, on SB455/HB527, which would have given the state parole board more discretion to deny parole to state prisoners. The Tennessean reports that in a letter notifying the Senate and House speakers of his veto decision, Lee stated that the bill would be "a step backwards from safer Tennessee communities" after implementation of the 2021 Reentry Success Act, which had received bipartisan support in the legislature: "Two years later, Tennessee achieved the lowest recidivism rate in state history, meaning fewer crimes and fewer victims. And I am confident that the Board of Parole and other safeguards ensure parole is awarded appropriately." Lawmakers could call themselves back into session to override the veto or move to do so at the beginning of the 2026 legislative session. The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference released a statement expressing disappointment in the veto, saying, "To ignore the gravity and specific facts of an offender’s crime when determining early release eligibility is not only irresponsible, it is dangerous. It disregards the suffering of victims, erodes trust in the criminal justice system, and places our communities at greater risk."

Knox County District Attorney (DA) Charme Allen last week fired Berkley Mason, an assistant prosecutor, after Knox News asked questions about a now-deleted social media account that allegedly contained racist and sexist messages. In a statement about the firing Allen said: "It is imperative that prosecutors in my office be moral, ethical, fair-minded persons who are able to apply the laws of our state justly to each set of facts presented on a case-by-case basis ... [The account's content] undermines my confidence in [Mason's] ability to uphold his oath as a prosecutor to 'administer justice without respect of person and impartially discharge all of the duties incumbent upon (a prosecutor).'" She also announced a review of the cases handled by Mason and "appropriate corrective action if necessary." According to the paper, as of May 2, 28% of the 111 pending cases Mason had been assigned included a minority defendant. It says it based its calculation on a review of booking photos in JIMS, the court’s online database.

TBA members should have received printed membership renewal statements by now, but for those who would prefer to renew online, the web-based portal remains open. Be sure to log into your TBA account and go to the MyTBA dashboard to get started. TBA members enjoy free legal research from vLex Fastcase, savings on a range of products and services, three free hours of CLE credit and access to hundreds of practice management tools through the Law Firm in a Box. Section members enjoy additional savings on CLEs, newsletters relevant to their practice areas and opportunities for leadership and networking. Renew today!

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Knoxville attorney Samantha Ellis to the Tennessee Board of Appeals. This board plays a vital role in resolving employment disputes by hearing appeals related to demotions, suspensions and dismissals of preferred service state employees. As a board member, Ellis will participate in hearings and render decisions on employee appeals, contributing to the fair application of state employment policies and laws. The appointment recognizes Ellis' expertise and dedication to serving her fellow citizens of Tennessee. Ellis is a senior associate attorney at Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall PC and serves on the TBA Young Lawyers Division's Board. She is presently the YLD CLE chair for East Tennessee and will become a member of the YLD Executive Committee in July when she becomes East Tennessee Governor.

Several local bar associations across the state celebrated Law Day last week. The Maury County Bar Association, which held its first Law Day event since 2018, presented General Sessions Court Judge Bobby Sands with the Liberty Bell Award, recognized Agothos Christian School's participation in the Tennessee State Mock Trial Competition and swore in new Assistant District Attorney Jenni Smith. In East Tennessee, the Knoxville Bar Association's (KBA) celebration included remarks from former state Sen. Lamar Alexander and award of the 2025 Law & Liberty Award to Samantha Monday, substance abuse case manager for the Knox County Sheriff's Office. The KBA Barristers Mock Trial co-chairs also recognized Sevier County High School's mock trial team as the district winner from the February competition. The Nashville Bar Association heard from Judge Curtis Collier as the featured speaker and presented two Liberty Bell awards to the Metro Davidson County Office of Conservatorship Management and Brentwood attorney John Day. Finally, Memphis Bar Association President Lauren Stimac spoke during a naturalization ceremony held by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee to welcome new citizens. The Chattanooga Bar Association's event is planned for May 14.

Five Nashville-area nonprofits behind the Eviction Right to Counsel (ERTC) program jointly announced this week that they have secured a $2.4 million allocation in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget recommendation. ERTC is aimed at providing outreach, education and legal aid to qualifying low-income renters facing eviction — the first program of its kind in Middle Tennessee to do so. ERTC is a partnership among nonprofits Legal Aid Society, Nashville Hispanic Bar Association, American Muslim Advisory Council, Rooftop Nashville and Nashville Conflict Resolution Center. The groups recently announced that the program has generated a total financial return of $5.10 for every dollar invested since its launch in July 2022. All low-income Davidson County residents are eligible for the program’s services. Anyone facing eviction who meets eligibility requirements will be provided legal assistance as resources permit. Read more a joint press release from the groups.