Five attorneys have applied to fill a vacancy on the Sixth Judicial District Criminal Court, which includes Knox County. The vacancy was created after Judge Kyle A. Hixon was confirmed to the Criminal Court of Appeals – Eastern Section. Emily Faye Abbott, Ashley McDermott, Nathaniel R. Ogle, Hector I. Sanchez and Wesley D. Stone will appear before the Trial Court Vacancy Commission public hearing on Aug. 2 for interviews. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. EDT and will result in the commission forwarding three names to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more information on the applicants.

Civil rights icons Diane Nash and Fred Gray were this afternoon awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden, the Tennessean reports. The nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who made significant contributions in the U.S. or internationally in politics, philanthropy, science, sports, the arts and other arenas. Gray, a civil rights attorney and global icon for Black American jurists, and Nash, a civil rights activist, were among 15 who received the award. "Fred’s legal brilliance and strategy desegregated schools and secured the right to vote," Biden said of Gray during the ceremony. The president also praised Nash’s "unshakeable courage," during the Civil Rights Movement.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee recently inducted Polly Peterson into its Tony Seaton Pro Bono Hall of Fame, which recognizes a lifelong commitment to the organization and access to justice. LAET notes that Peterson was a longtime staff attorney with the organization. Following her retirement, Peterson continued to serve her most disadvantaged neighbors at the Kingsport Bar Association Legal Advice Clinics and Sullivan County Pro Se Days. Peterson was inducted by Michael Forrester, 2019 hall of fame member and partner at Hunter, Smith & and Davis in Kingsport.

The Knoxville News Sentinel is suing the city for public records that would reveal the process used by Mayor Indya Kincannon to screen police chief candidates. New Orleans Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Noel was hired for the job after a private national search firm was hired by the city to help Kincannon with the hiring process. According to Knox News, the city now maintains that the use of the outside company shields it from state open records law. The paper says it rejects that position. "The city is intentionally and knowingly trying to hide public business from voters and taxpayers, and we're willing to fight to obtain records that legally are public documents," said Joel Christopher, Knox News executive editor. Christopher went on to say that the paper has no issues with the hiring of Noel, but the “secretive process that insults the concept of conducting the people's business with transparency."

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and e-cigarette company Juul yesterday agreed to suspend their court battle while the government reopens its review of the company’s product, the Associated Press reports. In June, the FDA banned the sale of Juul’s e-cigarettes, but a day later the ban was temporarily blocked by a federal appeals court. Earlier this week, the FDA placed a hold on the ban, saying that Juul’s application warranted “additional review.” The FDA said it originally ordered the ban because Juul’s application, which must show how their e-cigarettes benefit public health, left regulators with significant questions. Juul argued it had submitted enough information to address all questions and issues. If the FDA eventually decides to reimpose its ban, Juul will have 30 days to seek another stay, according to the filing. In related news, a New York court yesterday rejected Juul’s attempt to dismiss a 2019 lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The suit, which accuses Juul of fueling teen nicotine addiction through deceptive and misleading marketing, can now proceed, Reuters reports.

The Tennessee Bar Association is offering a “Journey to Cuba CLE” trip next March and you can sign up now to receive information on registration, itineraries and more. The TBA is collaborating with CLE Abroad, our program partner, to create the perfect itinerary for an eye-opening journey at this pivotal moment in U.S.-Cuba relations. The specially designed program will explore Cuba’s rich and varied cultural heritage and go beyond the typical tourist corridors to engage with local scholars, attorneys, entrepreneurs, musicians and artists who will offer in-depth commentary on the country’s legal and political systems, economics, art, history, architecture and religion. You do not want to miss this opportunity to experience the best of Cuba while earning CLE credit. Check out this trip brochure and make plans to join us March 2-6, 2023!

The Tennessee Bar Association's 2021-2022 membership year is just finished, and it was a busy one. Along with moving from offices in Downtown Nashville to new facilities in the city's West End, TBA members launched new programs to serve lawyers across the state, put in place an outreach program to introduce law students to the profession, bolstered efforts to make the profession more open to diversity, committed to helping lawyers become healthier and more. This graphic provides a quick summary.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue today released information about three sales tax holidays approved by the General Assembly for this year. The first, offered July 29-31, will include clothing under $100, school supplies under $100 and computers under $1,500. The second, which will run from Aug. 1-31, will include food and food ingredients. The third, which began on July 1, will run through June 30, 2023, and includes gun safes and safety equipment. Learn more about these state sales tax holidays online, by email or by phone at 615-253-0600.

The TBA is hosting a new book club that will meet quarterly over the next 12 months, and we want your input in choosing the first book. The first series of books involves a theme of racial relations and disparities through personal, societal and legal perspectives. We have created a webpage featuring three suggested books to kick off this initiative. Learn more and vote on the first book by July 11, then watch for more details to participate in this virtual book club.

In addition to honoring civil rights attorney Fred Gray, President Joe Biden will present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Nashville civil rights icon Diane Nash at a ceremony tomorrow, WKRN reports. Nash came to Nashville in 1959 to study at Fisk University and became a leader in nonviolent protests that desegregated the city's lunch counters. She helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and participated in the Freedom Rides. Nash also worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr., who described her as the “driving spirit in the nonviolent assault on segregation at lunch counters.”