The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts announced this week that 4th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge O. Duane Slone died in a traffic accident over the weekend in Jefferson County. He was 61 years old. Slone was first elected to the court in 1998, and in 2009, co-founded the district’s Drug Recovery Court. According to the AOC, he was recognized nationally as an innovator in his efforts to address the opioid-driven addiction crisis. He served as chair of the eight-state Appalachian-Midwest Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative, the Substance Misuse & Addiction Resources for Tennessee “SMART” Justice Network, and the Tennessee Judicial Conference Problem Solving Court Committee, and was a steering committee member of the National Rural Justice Collaborative and “SMART” Policy Network. Prior to taking the bench, he was in private practice in Dandridge and Sevierville and served as assistant district attorney for the 4th Judicial District. WBIR has details on the accident while WVLT 8 has reflections from the community.

Franklin lawyer Christopher Yong-Min Chi died Aug. 13 at the age of 52. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Chi worked as a lawyer at various law firms and health care companies in California and Tennessee. Prior to pursuing his law degree, Chi worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Press Enterprise and Athol Daily News (Greenfield, Massachusetts). A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. CDT at 139 Richards Glen Dr., Franklin 37067. Chi will be laid to rest at a later date at a family plot in New York state. Memorial donations may be made to the family’s 529 education accounts or to the Franklin nonprofit GraceWorks, 104 Southeast Pkwy., Franklin, TN 37064.

Chattanooga attorney Robert H. Robbins died Aug. 17. Following graduation from the University of Kentucky, Robbins was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and served in Vietnam. After active duty, he received his law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, where he was research editor for the Law Review. He also attended New York University School of Law and received the Masters of Law degree in taxation. Robbins practiced law for several years in Chattanooga before becoming senior vice president and trust officer of the Cleveland Bank and Trust Company and Citizens National Bank. Visitation will be held at Ridgedale Baptist Church, 1831 Hickory Valley Rd., Chattanooga 37421 on Sept. 7 from 11 a.m.-noon EDT with a celebration of life service to follow at noon. A private family service with full military honors will be held at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge James Curwood Witt Jr. died Aug. 17 at age 75. Witt, a member of the court's Eastern Section, was appointed by then-Gov. Don Sundquist in January 1997. Prior to joining the court, Witt served as counsel to the Monroe County Board of Education from 1989-1997. He was the Monroe County Juvenile Court judge from 1979-1982 and a juvenile court referee in Monroe County from 1974-1979. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Witt received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1973. The family will receive friends at First United Methodist Church, 143 College St. N., Madisonville 37354 on Aug. 22 at 4 p.m. EDT. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Monroe County Animal Shelter, 130 Kefauver Ln., Madisonville, TN 37354.

Clarksville attorney Austin Peay VII died Tuesday at age 56. Peay received his law degree from The University of Tennessee College of Law in 1993 and spent his career practicing law at Batson-Nolan Law Office in Clarksville. He was a member of the Montgomery County and Tennessee Bar Associations, as well as the Tennessee County Attorneys Association, "but can be best remembered for his riddling responses and uncanny humor among friends." The family will receive friends from 3-6 p.m. CDT on Aug. 11 and from 10-10:45 a.m. on Aug. 12 at McReynolds-Nave & Larson Funeral Home, 1209 Madison St., Clarksville 37040. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Greenwood Cemetery, 976 Greenwood Ave. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Peay's memory to the Humane Society of Clarksville-Montgomery County.

Former Chattanooga City Councilman and City Administrator Moses Freeman died Aug. 3 at age 86. He represented Chattanooga's District 8 from 2013-2017 and he dedicated himself to improving the city's Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Fox Chattanooga has remembrances of Freeman from city leaders. Visitation will be Aug. 11 from 2-6 p.m. EDT at John P. Franklin Funeral Home, 1101 Dodds Ave., Chattanooga 37404. Services are scheduled for Aug. 12 at 11 a.m. EDT at Second Missionary Baptist Church, 2305 E. Third St., Chattanooga 37404.

Anderson County Law Director Nicholas “Jay” Yeager died July 26 at age 65. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from East Carolina University and then worked in law enforcement for many years as a police officer, sergeant and member of the Gwinnett County Bomb Squad and SWAT teams in Georgia. Later, he attended the University of Georgia School of Law, graduating in 2001. Yeager served as assistant county attorney of Anderson County from 2001-2006 and as law director from 2006 until his death. He was recognized as the Tennessee County Attorney of the Year in 2024. His family will receive friends on Aug. 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT with the service immediately following at Unicoi Funeral Home, 4428 Unicoi Dr., Unicoi 37692. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Boys and Girls Club of Anderson County, Anderson County Volunteer Fire Department, South Clinton Inclusive Playground and Unicoi Methodist Church.

Daniel Waldo Cook, a veteran and community leader from Ashland City, died July 23 at the age of 74. A graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, he served in the military as a lieutenant colonel and as an assistant district attorney before establishing a private law practice. Cook also was a dedicated Boy Scout leader, founding Troop 987. Services were held this past Saturday. Memorial donations may be made to Cheatham County Veterans Memorial Park by calling 615-945-1851.

Chattanooga attorney Hugh F. “Ken” Kendall III died July 23 at age 75. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law and in 1972 moved to Chattanooga where he began his law career at Shumacker and Thompson. After 16 years there, he opened a solo practice where he practiced until his death. During his career, Kendall was recognized with several awards and served in numerous leadership roles, including chair of the TBA's Tax, Probate and Trust Law section. A memorial service will take place in the sanctuary of Brainerd Baptist Church, 300 Brookfield Ave., Chattanooga 37411 at noon EDT on Aug. 10. The family will receive friends starting at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary prior to the service.

Knoxville lawyer Kenneth M. Gresham Jr. died July 18 at the age of 97. Gresham served in the Navy in World War II. After his service, he graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law and began practicing with his father in the firm of Gresham and Gresham Attorneys. In the mid-1950s, he served as part time assistant attorney general. He later joined Howard G. Hogan in the practice of law and finished his legal career as “of counsel” in firm of Testerman, Warren and Roden. For 50 years, Gresham also was co-owner and president of Warranty Title Insurance Co. He retired in 2007. He also served for a time on the Federal Land Commission, deciding numerous federal condemnation actions. A graveside service took place today at Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville. Memorial donations may be made to Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 4904 Asheville Hwy., Knoxville, TN 37914.