U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker recently heard arguments over the constitutionality of Tennessee’s 2024 bail law, which prohibits judicial commissioners from considering a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail, the Daily Memphian reports. The lawsuit, filed by Just City and the American Civil Liberties Union, argues the law unfairly keeps low-income defendants jailed before trial because they cannot afford release. Plaintiffs contend the law removes critical judicial discretion and creates wealth-based detention, while attorneys for the state and Shelby County argued the statute remains constitutional because judges may still consider a defendant’s financial condition when assessing bail. Parker did not immediately rule and said he would issue a written decision at a later date.

State Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, launched his campaign Thursday for Tennessee’s newly drawn 7th Congressional District, according to NewsChannel 5. Dixie, who has represented House District 54 since 2018, said his campaign will focus on voting rights and issues affecting working families. The newly drawn district includes part of Nashville and extends farther east. Dixie will face fellow Democrats Darden Copeland, Saletta Holloway and Joshua Warren Sales in the Aug. 6 primary. Republican Matt Van Epps is running unopposed in the Republican primary. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.

The TBA YLD will host the webcast “Drug Court 101” in recognition of National Treatment Court Month. The program will provide an overview of Tennessee’s recovery courts, historically known as drug courts, and will cover recovery court practices, the Tennessee Drug Court Treatment Act, addiction and brain science, best practices for working with participants with substance use disorders, and the challenges and successes of the drug court model. The webcast is designed to help attorneys effectively represent clients and is open to all lawyers, particularly criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, juvenile and family law attorneys, and general civil practitioners. The CLE will be moderated by Hamilton County Circuit Judge and TBA Young Lawyers Division President Alex McVeagh and will feature Shannon Morgan, director of Hamilton County Accountability Courts. More information and registration are available on the TBA website.

Frank Gibson, founder and former executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG), died earlier this month. Gibson, a longtime Tennessee journalist and advocate for government transparency, founded the coalition in 2003 and served as its executive director until 2011, later remaining active on its board. During his career, he worked for more than four decades as a journalist at The Tennessean, serving as a reporter, city editor and political editor, and later became public policy director for the Tennessee Press Association. Gibson was widely recognized for his work advancing Tennessee’s public records and open meetings laws, including helping draft reforms to the Tennessee Public Records Act and co-authoring “Keys to Open Government,” a guide to the state’s sunshine laws.

The latest episode of BarBuzz recognizes National Treatment Court Month by highlighting the work of Tennessee’s recovery courts, mental health courts and veterans treatment courts. Hosted by TBA Communications Coordinator Azya Thornton, the episode features Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judges Tim Easter, Tom Greenholtz, Steven Sword and Stacy Street discussing accountability, rehabilitation and long-term recovery within Tennessee’s justice system. The judges share perspectives from their experiences in prosecution, private practice, education and the trial bench while discussing the structure of treatment courts, the role attorneys play in advocating for participants, and the challenges and successes of recovery-focused programs. The episode also highlights the TBA Young Lawyers Division’s upcoming webcast moderated by Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge and TBA YLD President Alex McVeagh alongside Hamilton County Accountability Courts Director Shannon Morgan. Listen to this episode on the TBA’s website or directly here.

The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners is seeking licensed Tennessee attorneys to serve as volunteers to conduct Character and Fitness interviews of applicants to the Tennessee bar. Eligible attorneys must be licensed and in good standing in Tennessee, have been admitted to practice for at least five years, reside in Tennessee and not teach in any capacity at a law school. Volunteers are appointed to a five-year term and may be reappointed for one additional five-year term. All appointments are subject to approval by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Those interested in serving or who would like to nominate an eligible attorney to serve, should complete and submit the Volunteer Interest Form by June 30.

Nashville lawyers Erik Halvorson and J. Hunter Robinson, both with Bradley, will receive the TBA's prestigious Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing on June 12 during the association's Annual Convention in Knoxville. The award, which will be presented at the Lawyers Luncheon, was established more than 40 years ago and is given each year to the lawyer who writes the most outstanding article published in the Tennessee Bar Journal for the preceding year. Halvorson and Robinson are being honored for their article One Domino Falls: Tennessee Supreme Court Reshapes Foreclosure Claims, which appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of the Journal.

In announcing the selection of Halvorson and Robinson, TBA President Heidi Barcus. said, “This winning article took a complex ruling from the Tennessee Supreme Court and, in straightforward and concise language, explained the consequences for both mortgage-related and non-mortgage-related litigation in Tennessee. This is the kind of writing the Joe Henry Award was created to recognize.” The award is named for Joseph W. Henry, a former chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, who was known for his forthright and clear writing. Read more in a press release from the TBA.

The TBA Mentoring Committee, in collaboration with the TBA Young Lawyers Division, gathered for its May monthly meet-up at Thursday night's Nashville Sounds game. The Mentoring Committee aims to foster meaningful connections among lawyers and law students by creating networking opportunities in relaxed, informal settings where relationships can develop naturally. In June and July, the groups will partner again to encourage TBA members to participate in TBA YLD pro bono clinics in Chattanooga and Gallatin. Learn more about the Mentoring Committee and its monthly meet-ups. Additional events will be announced soon and all are welcome to attend. The Mentoring Committee is co-chaired by Nashville lawyers Ross Smith and Alix Rogers. See photos from the event.

The Defendant, Nakeavious Milan, entered a guilty plea to one count of voluntary manslaughter, a Class C felony. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-211 (Supp. 2022). Pursuant to his plea agreement, the Defendant was sentenced as a Range II, multiple offender to eight years, with the trial court to determine whether the Defendant would be permitted to serve his sentence on probation. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court denied the Defendant’s request for full probation and ordered him to serve his eight-year sentence in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his request for full probation. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Defendant, Kyle Baptiste, appeals his Hardeman County Circuit Court conviction of rape, for which he received a sentence of twenty years’ incarceration. On appeal, the Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support the conviction. Discerning no error, we affirm.