The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has found that Weakley County Circuit Court Clerk Courtney McMinn improperly signed petitions to expunge criminal records for someone who was not eligible for expungement under state law. The office found that McMinn prepared four petitions for a person convicted of forgery in Weakley, Obion, Henry and Carroll counties and sent the petitions to court clerks in those counties. She signed the individual’s name on all four petitions and did not disclose the multiple convictions to the other clerks. Expungements ultimately were approved in Weakley and Carroll counties, but since have been reversed. The process in other counties was halted once the situation became known. The comptroller’s report was released on Dec. 8, six days after McMinn submitted notice of her resignation effective on Dec. 31, according to the Rogersville Review.

Lawrenceburg lawyer Charles W. “Charlie” Holt Jr. died Dec. 10 after a full day of work, according to his law firm. He was 74. Holt earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law in 1976 and began his legal career in Smyrna. He soon moved back home to Lawrenceburg and began practicing with William E. “Bill” Boston in the firm now known as Boston, Holt & Durham. In addition to nearly five decades of private practice, Hold also served as county attorney for Lawrence County for more than 30 years. He was an active member of the Lawrence County and Tennessee Bar associations and was a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. Visitation will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST with services immediately following. Arrangements are being handled by Neal Funeral Home.

Former Tennessee House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick has died at age 63 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS. A Chattanooga-area Republican, McCormick served seven terms in the state House of Representatives beginning in 2004. He was named chair of the Budget Subcommittee and later as House Majority Leader. Following his retirement, McCormick joined the Ingram Group to pursue a lobbying career. The Tennessean has more on his life, while Chattanoogan.com has reaction from his colleagues.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an ICE facility in Pennsylvania, Reuters reports. Xinis found that ongoing detention appears to be “constitutionally infirm” because no U.S. immigration judge has ordered his removal from the country. The AP reports he was released today. The Trump administration said it will appeal the ruling. Abrego Garcia also is awaiting trial in Nashville on charges of human smuggling. The judge in that case already ordered that he be released pending trial. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty in that case, and his lawyers are seeking dismissal based on claims it is a vindictive and selective prosecution.

The TBA's Year End CLE Event includes a six-hour "Ultimate Ethics Package" designed to help Tennessee lawyers quickly earn dual credit. The 1-Click package includes an update from the Board of Professional Responsibility and courses on ethics in artificial intelligence, attorney wellness, leadership and professional development. Check out the specific courses included on the TBA website. Looking for something else? TBA also has six, eight, 10, 12 and 15-hour packages based on specific topics or practice areas, live webcasts and on-demand video all month long. Explore all the Year End options to complete your CLE requirement by Dec. 31.

Mark your calendars for the 2026 Estate Planning & Probate Forum, scheduled for March 6, 2026 in Franklin. This annual event will provide seven hours of CLE credit and include sessions on litigation and estate planning, public receivership, a probate panel, and a legislative update. Section members receive discounted registration. Get more information and register on the TBA's website.

This is a divorce case following a long-term marriage. Wife appeals the trial court’s: 1) valuation and distribution of marital property and allocation of debt; 2) award of transitional alimony; 3) downward deviation of Husband’s child support obligation; and 4) denial of her request for her attorney’s fees to be paid from the marital estate. We affirm the trial court’s valuation of property; vacate the trial court’s division of marital debt, in part; vacate the alimony award; and reverse the court’s downward deviation from the Child Support Guidelines. We remand for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion.

READLER, Circuit Judge. Donald Sims violated the terms of his supervised release. He challenges the resulting above-Guidelines sentence that the district court imposed as procedurally and substantively unreasonable. We disagree and affirm the district court.

A Hamilton County Criminal Court Jury convicted Defendant, Justin David Whaley, of vehicular homicide by intoxication, reckless driving, driving under the influence of an intoxicant (“DUI”), reckless vehicular homicide, and multiple driving-related misdemeanor offenses, and the trial court merged the convictions into one conviction for vehicular homicide by intoxication and sentenced Defendant to nine years’ incarceration. Defendant appealed, and while his direct appeal was pending, he filed a petition for writ of error coram nobis based on newly discovered evidence. Following a hearing, the trial court granted coram nobis relief in part, vacating Defendant’s convictions for vehicular homicide by intoxication and DUI but denying relief as to Defendant’s remaining convictions. Both Defendant and the State appealed the trial court’s coram nobis order, and this court consolidated Defendant’s direct appeal with both parties’ appeals of the trial court’s coram nobis order. On appeal, Defendant challenges: (1) the sufficiency of the evidence for his convictions for vehicular homicide and DUI; (2) the denial of his motion to suppress evidence obtained by a search warrant for a blood draw; (3) the admission of the results of the analysis of his blood sample and the retrograde extrapolation as unreliable; (4) the admission of testimony of a Tennessee Department of Transportation (“TDOT”) employee as improper lay opinion; (5) the trial court’s decision to allow the jury to visit the scene; and (6) the jury instructions on mistake of fact and reckless vehicular homicide. Defendant also contends that the cumulative effect of the errors at trial warrants relief and that the trial court erred in failing to grant coram nobis relief for all his convictions. In its cross- appeal, the State asserts that the trial court erred by granting partial coram nobis relief. Upon review, we reverse the trial court’s order granting coram nobis relief for Defendant’s convictions of vehicular homicide by intoxication and DUI, and we reinstate those convictions. Because the trial court only imposed sentences for the vehicular homicide by intoxication conviction, we remand for a sentencing hearing for the remaining convictions and the entry of corrected judgments reflecting separate sentences for each conviction. We otherwise affirm the judgments of the trial court.

In 2021, the Defendant, Richard Kinsinger, Jr., pleaded guilty to sexual battery by an authority figure, and the trial court sentenced the Defendant to serve six months in confinement and five years on probation. On appeal, the Defendant asserts that the trial court erred when it sentenced him. After review, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.