The Defendant, Brandi Michelle Adams,1 pled guilty to the offense of second degree murder as a Range II, multiple offender and received a sentence of forty years. She later filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1, arguing that she was a Range I, standard offender and did not agree to be sentenced in an enhanced range. Following a hearing, the trial court denied the motion, and the Defendant appealed, asserting three issues: (1) that she could not legally be sentenced as a Range II, multiple offender; (2) that her plea was involuntary; and (3) that the trial court exhibited bias in denying her Rule 36.1 motion. Upon our review, we respectfully affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts has named attorney Joe Byrd as interim executive director of the newly established Office of the Appointed Counsel Commission (AOC), which will coordinate statewide indigent representation in child welfare cases and criminal cases where district public defenders have conflicts. Byrd previously served as lead attorney for the AOC's indigent services team. Gov. Bill Lee’s amended budget, approved in the 2025 legislative session, included funding for the new office to address challenges in delivering indigent defense. “Joe Byrd is a trusted and seasoned attorney with the expertise required to lead this new office,” Chief Justice Holly Kirby said in a release. “The Supreme Court appreciates the support of the Governor, the legislature, judges, attorneys, the Tennessee Bar Association and the work of our team at the AOC. We are taking a transformational step forward to safeguard the fair and impartial administration of justice in Tennessee." Before joining the AOC, Byrd was an assistant attorney general in Tennessee, disciplinary counsel at the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility and a municipal attorney in both Tennessee and Florida. Byrd previously worked as an associate at Logan Thompson PC, where his general practice included court appointments representing indigent clients in child welfare and criminal cases.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) has agreed to delete the booking photo of a Muslim woman, photographed without her hijab, from its database in response to a pending lawsuit. In May 2024, Layla Soliz was arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of the University of Tennessee College of Law. She filed a lawsuit in October claiming that her religious freedoms had been violated because KCSO took the photo of her and published it, violating KCSO policy. In March, she settled the monetary damages portion of the lawsuit. On June 3, KCSO certified that it had expunged the uncovered booking photo of Soliz and all videos from its internal database. On July 7, the office moved to dismiss the case. Knox News has the story.

JANE B. STRANCH, Circuit Judge. Robert Cox sued Total Quality Logistics, Inc. and Total Quality Logistics, LLC (together, “TQL”) for negligence under Ohio law. Mr. Cox alleged that TQL, in its capacity as a freight broker, negligently hired an unsafe motor carrier, resulting in a motor vehicle crash that killed his wife, Greta Cox. The district court dismissed the action on the ground that Mr. Cox’s claims were preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration and Authorization Act (“FAAAA” or “the Act”), 49 U.S.C. § 14501(c). For the reasons set forth below, we REVERSE the judgment of the district court and REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Local governments and state universities are adjusting their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies to comply with new state laws, the Nashville Post reports. In the most recent legislative session, Tennessee lawmakers passed several laws targeting DEI practices. The first, the Dismantling DEI Departments Act, bans departments that work to promote diversity or equity. The second, the Dismantle DEI in Employment Act, bans the use of hiring practices based on an applicant’s race, ethnicity, sex, age or other demographic. Finally, a third bill eliminates race-based preferences in state board appointments. In response, Metro Nashville, Middle Tennessee State University, Shelby County and the City of Memphis have made changes. Read more from the paper.

In 2008, a Lincoln County jury convicted the Petitioner, Shawn Simmons, of first degree murder, and the trial court imposed a sentence of life imprisonment. Sixteen years later, the Petitioner filed a petition for writ of error coram nobis, asserting that a trial witness had since revealed previously undisclosed information related to the offense. The coram nobis court dismissed the petition without a hearing, concluding that the petition was untimely and that due process principles did not toll the one-year statute of limitations. The Petitioner now appeals, contending that the summary dismissal was erroneous. Upon review, we respectfully affirm the judgment of the coram nobis court.

Mother and Father appeal the trial court’s finding that termination is in the best interests of their three younger children. Because we conclude that clear and convincing evidence supports the trial court’s findings that Mother and Father committed severe abuse against a child and that the children’s best interests are served by termination, we affirm.

This is a Governmental Tort Liability Act (“GTLA”) case, Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-20-101, et seq., alleging negligent operation of a street sweeper by a city employee. The trial court denied the city’s claims of immunity and entered judgment after a nonjury trial, apportioning 51 percent fault to the city’s employee who was driving the street sweeper and 49 percent fault to the driver of the pickup truck that was involved in a collision with the sweeper. The city appealed. We affirm.

Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia may continue to challenge his deportation to El Salvador even though he is now back in the country to stand trial for criminal charges. The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) had argued the suit should be dismissed, according to the Associated Press. Also during the hearing, a DOJ lawyer said the department would try to deport him again if released before trial. That contradicts previous statements from leaders. Additionally, new filings in the case allege that Abrego Garcia endured “severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition and psychological torture” while in the El Salvador prison, The Tennessean reports. In related news, Tennessee Lookout reports that Tennessee-based U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw has ordered lawyers in the criminal case to refrain from making public statements. That order was requested by Abrego Garcia’s lawyers who say the government has “launched a public disparagement campaign” that could prejudice their client’s right to a fair trial.

The Mid-South Commercial Law Institute recently named new officers and five new directors to its 25-member board. Officers are President Cara Alday Patrick with Beard, Schulman & Jacoway in Chattanooga; Vice President/President-Elect Wendy Geurin Smith of Memphis with Evans Petree; Secretary Maggie Reidy, a staff attorney in the Chapter 13 Trustee's office in Nashville; Treasurer R. Bradley Banks of Cleveland with Richard Banks & Associates; and Immediate Past President Paul Jennings with Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville. New directors, elected to five year terms, are: Wes R. Bulgarella with Maynard Nexsen in Birmingham, Alabama; Ryan E. Jarrard of Quist, Fitzpatrick & Jarrard in Knoxville; Tyler Layne of Nashville with Holland & Knight; R. Lee Webber with Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston in Memphis; and Robert “Jay” Wilkinson with Baker Donelson in Chattanooga. See the list of the full 2025 board.