This bonus episode of BarBuzz takes a festive and reflective turn as TBA staff members and hosts Azya Thornton and Hank Elliott share lighthearted courtroom stories and holiday traditions submitted by members and staff, ranging from memorable probate court moments to cookie baking, tamale-making and even a legendary flour fight. The episode also looks ahead to 2026, offering a relaxed and cheerful conversation that celebrates community, connection and what’s next for the TBA. Listeners can catch past episodes of the podcast anytime in the BarBuzz archive.

State officials decertified the Meigs County Jail earlier in December after determining that recently approved repair plans would not bring the overcrowded, aging facility into compliance with Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) standards. WBIR reports that the decision came less than a day after county commissioners voted to renovate rather than build a new jail. TCI officials have concluded that only a new facility could restore certification. As a result, state inmates must be transferred out and county leaders must reconsider their plans.

An audit from Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower's office has identified flaws in the way the state Department of Human Services (DHS) investigates complaints against child care centers, potentially placing children at risk, according to the Tennessee Lookout. Approximately 6,000 allegations of child abuse, neglect and financial exploitation are made annually against child care providers, which DHS must investigate. The comptroller's report found that some of these investigations lacked required documentation, including proof that inspectors visited the childcare center, incomplete “action plans” holding child care operators responsible for improvements, and misclassified forms. The report also found that some investigations were not initiated or concluded in the legally required timeframe. DHS Commissioner Clarence Carter acknowledged the ongoing problems and pledged to “strengthen our processes to ensure our investigation process is timely and properly documented at DHS.”

Twelve attorneys licensed in Tennessee were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 39th annual TBA Academy this month. TBA President Heidi Barcus moved for admission of the members during a regular court session in Washington, D.C. Those admitted before the high court were Nashville attorney Paige Bernick; Knoxville lawyer Stefanie Bowen; Nashville attorney Stuart Burkhalter; Memphis lawyer Chad Cardwell; Nashville attorney Stephanie Celada; Morristown lawyer Aaron Chapman; Lewisburg attorney Louisa Davis; Alabama lawyer Charles “Chip” Dawson Jr.; Texas attorney Orlando Dizon; Chattanooga lawyer Michael Kuebler; Knoxville attorney Brandon Morrow, and Nashville lawyer Bernadette Welch. See a photo from the event.

Several new laws will take effect in Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2026. HB749 invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants, with a penalty of a class-B misdemeanor; HB1200, also known as "Savanna's Law," creates a domestic violence offender registry to be maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation based on information from court clerks, the Department of Correction and local law enforcement agencies; and HB1376 enacts new regulations on Tennessee’s hemp industry. The 114th General Assembly will reconvene Jan. 13, 2026, for its second session. The Nashville Post and The Tennessean have details on the new laws.

Nashville law firm Brewer, Krause, Brooks, Chastain & Meisner PLLC recently shared with the TBA that it would dissolve as of Dec. 31, with several of its attorneys joining the newly formed Meisner Santiago PLLC, located at 545 Mainstream Drive, Suite 101, Nashville 37228. “Our focus remains unchanged — delivering experienced, efficient litigation defense and practical counsel our clients can rely on," says Managing Partner Steve Meisner. "The launch of Meisner Santiago PLLC allows us to continue that work with a trusted, experienced team of litigators while building a firm intentionally designed for the future. We are deeply grateful for the longstanding relationships we have developed and for the confidence our clients place in us, and we look forward to continuing to serve them with the same commitment, responsiveness and care in the years ahead.” The firm can be reached at 615-630-7715 or www.meisnersantiago.com.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued Rule 56 to create the Appointed Counsel Commission, define its purpose and composition, set forth its duties, and establish requirements for appointment of counsel. The adoption of the rule comes after the governor proposed, and the General Assembly appropriated, funds for the Administrative Office of the Courts to establish the commission, the purpose of which is to retain and provide counsel in certain civil and criminal proceedings in which an indigent party has a right to appointed counsel. The new rule took effect immediately. Read more about the commission in past coverage from TBA Today.

Judges across Tennessee are adopting stricter, county-by-county measures to ensure people ordered to relinquish firearms in domestic violence cases are actually giving them up, according to reporting by WPLN News and ProPublica. The move comes after a proposed statewide reform stalled. According to the news sources, the shift was inspired by reforms in Scott County, which require written affidavits identifying who will take custody of surrendered guns and signed confirmation from the recipients — steps which are not required under the state’s standard form. At least nine counties, including Davidson and Shelby, have amended their gun dispossession affidavits as advocates warn that gaps in enforcement leave victims at risk.

Another inmate has died at the Shelby County Jail, The Daily Memphian reports. Marcel Hutton, died Dec. 21 at 201 Poplar. Jail staff and a nurse with the jail’s third-party medical provider, WellPath, began lifesaving measures, but Hutton died less than an hour later, according to an email from the sheriff’s office. The cause of death remains under investigation, and the sheriff’s office did not specify whether the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been contacted. Hutton is at least the 13th person in custody of the sheriff’s office to die in 2025.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti's office has shut down multiple illegal online sweepstakes casinos across the state. The action is part of an ongoing effort to protect Tennesseans from predatory and unregulated gambling operations, according to a press release. Skrmetti issued formal cease-and-desist letters to nearly 40 online sweepstakes platforms, all of which have either disabled the unlawful components of their sites or agreed to wind down operations in the coming weeks. The promotional sweepstakes model used by these casinos is considered an illegal lottery under the Tennessee Constitution and violates state gambling and consumer protection laws, according to the AG's office.