Herrin, McPeak, Shepard & Ketchie in Johnson City has announced a new firm name as attorneys Hunter S. Shepard and Rebecca J. Ketchie join K. Erickson Herrin and Samuel K. McPeak as partners, according to a news release. Shepard, a Johnson City native, focuses on local government and law enforcement defense in civil rights litigation, while Ketchie brings experience in local government representation and civil litigation and is a Tennessee Supreme Court listed Rule 31 family law mediator. In addition, Thomas J. Garland and Jeffrey M. Ward will join the firm in January 2026, adding decades of experience in government defense, civil litigation and mediation. Garland has practiced for nearly 40 years and published works on federal discrimination law. Ward, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, is a Rule 31 mediator and member of the Tennessee ADR Commission. The firm said it looks forward to continuing more than 40 years of service to the region.

Charges against former District Attorney Chris Stanford have been dismissed, ending a case stemming from accusations that he fired shots during a police pursuit of a triple-murder suspect, News Channel 5 reports. Stanford was indicted after prosecutors said he improperly intervened in a police pursuit of a triple-murder suspect in Smithville last year and was charged with reckless endangerment. The judge overseeing the case dismissed the charges after Stanford resigned from his post in October. Because he is no longer serving in office, the court found the statutory basis for pursuing the charge no longer applied.

Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday he does not plan to halt the execution of Harold Wayne Nichols, who was convicted in the death of Karen Pulley and is set to die by lethal injection on Thursday. According to Chattanoogan.com, Lee said, “After deliberate consideration of Harold Wayne Nichols’ request for clemency, and a after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene.” In addition, the Nashville Banner reports that the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied two motions by Nichols. He now has been placed on death watch, the Tennessean reports. He was moved from his death row cell to a room next to the execution chamber, where he will be under 24-hour observation. His execution is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Dec. 11.

The judges of the Davidson County General Sessions Court announced that they have directed Justice A.A. Birch Courthouse security to heighten security measures following remarks by Congressman Andy Ogles that "appeared intended to incite violence against elected officials in Davidson County." In a joint statement, the judges said, "We stand united in condemning any language or actions that target judges — or any elected officials — with threats of violence as a means of expressing political disagreement. In light of the numerous acts of political violence witnessed in recent years, the statements made by Mr. Ogles are unacceptable." Read the full statement. The judges also sent a formal request to Gov. Bill Lee requesting that the state take "immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of the public in and around" the courthouse.

Former Memphis Police Office Patric J. Ferguson pleaded guilty in August to civil rights, firearms, kidnapping and obstruction charges connected with the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Robert Howard. Ferguson was sentenced last week to 38 years in prison. The Tennessee Lookout reports that in 2021, Ferguson used a police database to search for Howard, who at the time was in a relationship with a woman who previously dated Ferguson. Ferguson was charged with kidnapping Howard, killing him in the back of his patrol car and dumping the body in the Wolf River.

The number of lawyers in the United States increased significantly this year for the first time since 2020, rising from 1.35 million in 2024 to 1.37 million this year, according to the American Bar Association (ABA) 2025 Profile of the Legal Profession. The profile is based on findings from the National Lawyer Population Survey (NLPS) published by the ABA’s Center for Bar Leadership. In total, the number of resident active lawyers in the U.S. has grown by 73,363 over the last 10 years, an increase of 5.6%, according to the survey. The ABA has collected data on the number of U.S. lawyers since 1878. Over the last 147 years, overall growth has been consistently positive, with short bursts of rapid expansion. Read more about the NLPS and download the full report.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti has announced Phase 2 of Operation Robocall Roundup, expanding a crackdown on illegal robocalls to include four of the largest telecommunications companies in the country. According to Skrmetti, Inteliquent, Bandwidth, Lumen and Peerless have collectively facilitated an estimated 3.4 billion scam calls nationwide since 2020. “Despite action by attorneys general across the country, [these companies] continue to profit from routing these illegal calls into millions of American homes," he said. "We are intensifying enforcement against these bad actors to ensure stronger safeguards for consumers.” Read more in a press release from the AG's office.

Belmont University College of Law Dean Alberto Gonzales will step down May 31, 2026, after 12 years of leadership, the university announced in a news release. Gonzales joined Belmont in 2014 and helped elevate the law school nationally. "In just over a decade, Dean Gonzales has positioned Belmont's College of Law among the top law schools in the nation," said Belmont University President Dr. Greg Jones. Under his tenure, Belmont Law has achieved a 96.9% first-time pass rate on the July 2025 Tennessee Bar Exam, maintaining an average bar passage rate above 90%. Gonzales also emphasized practice-ready, purpose-driven training through field placements, clinics, pro bono initiatives and partnerships with organizations such as the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and Tennessee Justice Center. A national search for his successor is underway according to the school.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide the legality of President Donald Trump’s directive to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, Reuters reports. The order, signed on Trump’s first day back in office, directs federal agencies not to recognize the citizenship of children born to mothers not legally in the country or here temporarily, and whose fathers are not citizens or lawful permanent residents at the time of the birth. The court will take up a U.S. Justice Department appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked the policy. The lower court found that the order violated the 14th Amendment and a federal law codifying birthright citizenship. The executive order was challenged in a class-action lawsuit brought by parents and children affected by the directive. The justices are expected to hear arguments this term and issue a ruling by June, the news source reports.

Knox County Assistant District Attorney Andrea Kline has been appointed to serve as the newest judge on the county's General Sessions Court, Division IV. The Knox County Commission selected Kline in a special election to replace retiring Judge Andrew Jackson VI, according to a press release. Kline has spent 25 years with the District Attorney General’s Office, prosecuting thousands of cases across all areas of criminal law. She earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law.