The family of an inmate who died at the Shelby County Jail in 2025 has filed a federal lawsuit alleging negligence and inadequate medical care, the Daily Memphian reports. Courtney Berry died March 30, 2025, after he was found unresponsive in a jail bathroom, more than a month after being booked for an alleged violation of a suspended sentence. An autopsy found he died from heart complications. The suit alleges that Berry had complained of chest pain and made multiple requests for medical assistance that were ignored or inadequately addressed. The complaint further claims his death reflects a broader pattern of neglect of inmates’ medical needs at the facility. Filed March 17, the suit names Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., the jail’s medical provider WellPath, and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris as defendants. The suit seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages. Neither the sheriff’s office nor Harris commented on the allegations.

A federal judge has dismissed most claims in a class action lawsuit involving families who lost loved ones in the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, narrowing the case against the National Park Service, Knox News reports. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer tossed claims that park officials failed to follow fire protocol. In his opinion yesterday, Greer said park officials made a judgment call and they did enough in their firefighting efforts, though they made errors in their assessment of the fire. The final focus of the lawsuit will center on claims that the park's command structure, namely Fire Management Officer Greg Salansky, was wearing too many hats to properly handle the constantly changing conditions of the fire. Those claims from victims' families and insurance companies will continue through the federal courts.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its April docket on April 8 at Union University in Jackson, with proceedings beginning at 9 a.m. CDT. Oral arguments will be heard at the Harvey Auditorium in the Barefoot Student Union Building and will be accessible by livestream. The court is scheduled to hear three cases addressing issues including class certification and legal malpractice claims, statutory interpretation in a negligence dispute, and the obligations of district attorneys general in municipal court proceedings. Read more about each case in a press release.

Sessions from the 2026 Estate Planning & Probate Forum are available now as a 1-Click package — a comprehensive CLE bundle providing seven hours of programming, including six general hours and one dual hour. The sessions cover a range of timely topics, including probate litigation strategy, the growing role of artificial intelligence in estate planning workflows, legislative updates, ethics and conflict-of-interest considerations, public receiverships and a probate panel featuring experienced practitioners, judges and court officials. The programming aims to equip estate planning attorneys with immediately applicable tools and help them stay current on developments impacting the field. Purchase the package or individual sessions.

A lawsuit seeking to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office will proceed even as her term is set to end in September. The Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert’s appeal of a lower court decision allowing the ouster case to move forward and found that the county attorney has the authority to bring the lawsuit, according to Action News 5. Halbert has faced repeated scrutiny in recent years, including calls for her removal over audit findings and concerns about management of the clerk’s office.

Volunteers are needed for an Essential Documents Clinic at the Cannon County Senior Center located at 609 Lehman St. in Woodbury on April 20 from noon to 2 p.m. CDT. The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennesseee and the Cumberlands and the TBA Young Lawyers Division will be assisting seniors will simple wills, durable power of attorneys and advance medical directives. For more information see the attached flyer. To volunteer email Alyssa Fox at afox@las.org.

Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Sumner, confirmed he will run to become Tennessee’s next speaker of the Senate and lieutenant governor, Gallatin News reports. Haile, a Gallatin native who has represented District 18 — which includes Sumner and Trousdale counties — since 2013, will seek the Republican nomination for speaker. Under the Tennessee Constitution, the Senate speaker also serves as lieutenant governor and is next in line should the governor’s office become vacant. Haile currently serves as Senate speaker pro tempore, a position he has held since 2018. Meanwhile, three candidates have entered the race to succeed Lt. Gov. Randy McNally in Senate District 5. McNally announced in February he would not run again.

The Tennessee Bar Association’s online renewal for 2026-2027 is now open! Renew your membership to continue your access to TBA Today, the Tennessee Bar Journal, three free hours of CLE, resources for starting and building a new firm, and free legal research tool, as well as savings on a range of products and services. Be sure to check out TBA's new pro bono portal, solo health insurance plan and expanded discounts on travel. Attorneys not participating in the TBA's firm billing program can log in and renew through their MyTBA dashboard. The TBA membership team will be working with firm administrators for those participating in firm billing so check with your firm administrator if you have questions about that process.

John Peden Valliant Jr., age 78, died March 29. He graduated from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law and served in the U.S. Army National Guard during the Vietnam War era, returning to Knoxville where his law practice spanned five decades. Valliant was deeply involved in civic life and served as chair of the Knox County Democratic Party in 1982. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, 6717 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919, or Helping Mamas, 10908 McBride Lane, Knoxville, TN 37932. A memorial gathering is being held today from 11 to 11:30 a.m. EDT at French Broad Veteran's Memorial Park, 2302 E. Gov. John Sevier Highway, Knoxville 37914, overlooking the river at the court of flags.

Defendant, Gerald Elijah Crossley, challenges his Madison County Circuit Court jury convictions of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault, and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, arguing that the trial court erred by admitting evidence of Defendant’s alleged gang affiliation and expert testimony about gang-related activities and that the evidence was insufficient to establish his identity as the perpetrator. Because we conclude that the trial court did not err in admitting the challenged evidence and that the evidence was sufficient to support Defendant’s convictions, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.