Davidson County attorney Zachary Ty Carden on April 13 received a censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. In the first complaint, Carden represented a criminal defendant in connection with adjustment of jail credits and seeking a furlough. He delayed in taking action for the client and failed to respond to the client’s communications. In the second complaint, Carden represented a client in pursuing a custody matter. He completed limited investigation of the client’s legal claims but did not file a petition or take other legal action, and he failed to respond to his client’s communications, which ultimately resulted in the client discharging Carden. Following his discharge, Carden did not refund an appropriate portion of the client’s fee. In the third complaint, Carden represented a client in pursuing contempt sanctions in a post-divorce matter. He prepared a draft petition but did not complete any other work for the client. Carden also failed to respond to the client’s requests for information about the status of the representation. Carden was found to have violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.16(d).

The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is warning of a scam targeting workers’ compensation claimants, in which individuals falsely pose as judges, attorneys or government officials and request payment in exchange for benefits or claim settlements. According to a press release, scammers may contact victims by phone, email, text or video and use tactics such as spoofed email addresses, fake court documents and fabricated case information to appear legitimate. Officials emphasized that workers should never be asked to pay to receive benefits, as employers — not employees — are responsible for covering medical treatment for workplace injuries, and the bureau does not charge fees or request payments through methods such as gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency. The agency urges individuals to verify suspicious communications through official state channels and report potential scams to law enforcement or the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an opinion today affirming the conviction of Ronald Matthew Lacy for theft of property over $60,000, concluding that the state had jurisdiction and sufficient evidence to support the verdict. According to a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Lacy, a Kentucky-based luxury car broker, was convicted after persuading a Lenoir City dealership owner in 2015 to wire funds for a Mercedes that Lacy did not own and never delivered. A Loudon County jury convicted Lacy of theft and Lacy moved for a new trial, arguing that Tennessee lacked territorial jurisdiction and failed to prove that he obtained Dyer’s money without effective consent. The trial court rejected those arguments and the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Lacy’s conviction. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted Lacy’s permission to appeal the decision. In its opinion, the court held that Tennessee had territorial jurisdiction because Lacy used electronic communications, including text messages and emails, to complete the transaction, and found the evidence showed he obtained the funds through deception, rendering the victim’s consent ineffective. The court upheld rulings by both the trial court and the Court of Criminal Appeals in rejecting Lacy’s arguments for a new trial.

The Beacon Center of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit in federal court that seeks to repeal a sweeping ban on data centers and cryptocurrency mines that was enacted by Hawkins County late last year. The Beacon Center is representing ExoticRidge, a Kentucky-based cryptocurrency mining company which wants to build an eight megawatt bitcoin mine adjacent to a fractionation plant in the farming community of Bulls Gap, WPLN reports. People who live nearby say they do not want a bitcoin mine next door, fearing the potential for noise pollution and increased energy rates, which led the Hawkins County Commission in September 2025 to pass a resolution banning data center development. The Beacon Center’s complaint alleges Hawkins County has violated the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution and alleges the county discriminated against ExoticRidge based solely on their industry. Crypto mines are a type of data center, which is a group of computers that operate 24/7 to run algorithms, solve equations or store data for internet access.

A Knoxville man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, alleging he was wrongly arrested and jailed for three days after deputies failed to verify his identity. According to Knox News, Justin Clark was taken into custody in March 2025 on a warrant for another man with the same name, despite differences in middle name, birth date and Social Security number. He also alleges he was without medication for a kidney disease for those days. When jail staff learned of their error Clark was released March 19 and he learned he had lost his job. Clark is suing for false arrest, false imprisonment and violations of his constitutionally guaranteed Fourth and 14th Amendment violations, and is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages. The lawsuit, originally filed in Knox County Circuit Court in March, was transferred to U.S. District Court last week.

Belmont University has named Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Law Deborah R. Farringer as its next dean of the College of Law, making her the first woman to lead the school, with her appointment effective Aug. 1. Farringer, who joined the faculty in 2013 and has overseen curriculum planning, faculty development and student success initiatives since 2021, succeeds Dean Alberto Gonzales, who has led the law school since 2014. Before entering academia, Farringer practiced health care and regulatory law at Bass, Berry & Sims and served in legal roles at Vanderbilt University, in addition to completing a federal appellate clerkship. According to a press release from the law school, university leaders cited her academic leadership and institutional knowledge as key to continuing the law school’s growth, which has included top bar passage rates and strong employment outcomes for graduates. “I am honored to serve as dean of the Belmont University College of Law,” Farringer said. “Belmont Law has built a strong record of student success and national credibility while remaining grounded in its mission to instill the highest standards of personal and professional conduct. I am grateful to Dean Gonzales for his leadership and look forward to working with our faculty, students, alumni and partners to build on this momentum and lead Belmont Law into its next chapter.”

A new study finds that Nashville’s Eviction Right to Counsel program has delivered significant economic and social benefits, helping hundreds of residents avoid homelessness while generating a positive return on public investment, the Tennessean reports. The program, launched by the Metro Council as a pilot in 2022, provided $2.32 in fiscal impact for every $1 spent on legal representation in 2025, according to the report. The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association, which administer the program, spent about $1.8 million last year, resulting in an estimated $4.3 million in benefits to Davidson County. Researchers found the program helped approximately 429 people avoid homelessness, reduced crime and job loss linked to housing instability, and allowed clients to achieve a median financial benefit of $7,800.

Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have filed a motion to test DNA evidence they say was not previously examined in the case of Tony Carruthers, a Shelby County man scheduled to be executed next month, the Commercial Appeal reports. Carruthers, who has been on death row since his 1996 conviction in the killings of Marcellos Anderson, Delois Anderson and Frederick Tucker, was largely tied to the crime through witness statements rather than physical evidence, according to court records. The ACLU said untested DNA evidence does not match Carruthers and has not been compared to another potential suspect. The organization is urging testing before the execution, calling it an "irreversible punishment." Carruthers, who represented himself at trial amid documented mental health concerns, also has a separate competency claim pending, while a prior motion to test fingerprints from the crime scene remains unresolved.

The TBA Litigation Practice Section is continuing its “Perspectives From the Bench” series on May 21 at the new TBA office in Nashville. The program will feature a conversation with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins and former Supreme Court Justice and current Nashville School of Law Dean Bill Koch. Attorneys Hunter Branstetter with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison and Todd Presnell with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings will moderate the discussion, which will focus on each justice's path to the bench, the role of mentors, the importance of the Rule of Law and more. Make plans now to join colleagues for this informative program from 3-4:30 p.m. CDT and a networking reception that will follow at 4:30 p.m. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is hosting a free legal clinic for artists May 6 at the Country Music Association. The clinic offers 30-minute consultations with volunteer attorneys for income-qualified creatives across Tennessee. A tax lawyer from the Legal Aid Society’s Tennessee Taxpayer Project will also be on-site to answer questions related to federal income tax problems. Volunteer attorneys can expect questions on contracts and licensing, copyright concerns, business formation and nonprofit governance. Email vlpa@abcnashville.org for more information or to volunteer.