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National Award Named for Civil Rights Attorney George Barrett
The Sidney Hillman Foundation, which historically recognizes journalists, announced the creation of the George Barrett national award, the Tennessean reports. Barrett, the late Nashville civil rights and labor attorney, started his career representing sit-in demonstrators. Barrett passed away in August after practicing law in Nashville for more than 50 years. Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Ala., will be the inaugural recipient.

Tennessee Supreme Court Affirms Inclusion of Lesser Offenses
The Court has held that a jury can be instructed to consider – and that a defendant can be convicted of – the less serious of criminal attempt, even if there is evidence that a charged crime was not only attempted but also completed, according to Chattanoogan.com. This decision came via Jeremy Thorpe’s case, who was convicted on one count of criminal attempt to commit sexual battery. The appeals court upheld the conviction, and the Supreme Courts also found that lesser-included charges are allowed and a jury is free to find a defendant guilty of those offenses, whether or not they find him guilty of the actual crime.
Tennessee Youth Court Program Listed as One of Five 'Promising' Programs
The Tennessee Youth Court Program has been named as one of five promising programs operating in our state by Vanderbilt University’s Center for Safe and Supportive Schools (S3). S3 highlighted the success of the evidence-based, peer-driven juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention program.
 National Law Firm Polsinelli PC      Opens Nashville Office                
Kansas-City based law firm Polsinelli PC, among the 100 largest law firms in the country, opened a Nashville office, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Nashville healthcare attorneys Bobby Guy and Robert Dempsey were hired to run the office. Polsinelli operates 21 offices throughout the country with more than 740 attorneys. 
Tennessee Senate Passes on Judicial Confirmation Plan
The Tennessee Senate voted 4 yes, 1 no and 27 present not voting on adoption of a conference committee report on SB0001/HB0142 implementing appellate judge confirmation. Led by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Memphis, the upper chamber action left the conference committee report on the desk for action next year as time ran out in the first year of a two-year legislative term. Members of the Senate stated reservations with voting for confirmation in a joint convention, believing it undermined the power of the Senate. Attorney General Herbert Slatery declared last month that the governor could continue to appoint appellate judges under present authority if no new statute was adopted. Creation of a trial court vacancy commission, appointed by the two speakers, which would nominate three lawyers to fill any vacancy on the trial bench, was also deferred by the Senate’s action. The governor continues to have unfettered statutory power to make interim appointments pending the next election. 


March 2015 Circuit Court Trial Report 


Click here to access March 2015 departments by the number, trials by case type and trial verdict results.
For more detailed access about these cases and thousands more, subscribe to CaseLink by emailing caselink@nashville.gov. 

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