Shelby County Commissioner Justin Ford is out on bond after being charged Monday with domestic violence assault and false imprisonment. And the Shelby County Commission does not appear to have a precedent for taking any kind of action until the charges are resolved one way or another although commission chairman Melvin Burgess is exploring that with attorneys.

2. 'Fragile Fortress' - Saturday, April 22, 2017

When former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey spoke at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in April on the concept of judicial independence and the reality of judicial criticism, he came with some criticism of his own of the judiciary.

3. Judicial Independence Focus of Law Symposium - Saturday, April 8, 2017

The Cecil C. Humphreys University of Memphis Law School Symposium will examine the concept of judicial independence.

The daylong symposium Friday, April 7, is titled “The Fragile Fortress” and will feature four federal judges, four legal scholars, a former U.S. attorney general and the chief justice of the Costa Rican Supreme Court.

4. U of M Law Symposium To Explore Judicial Independence - Wednesday, April 5, 2017

The Cecil C. Humphrey University of Memphis Law School Symposium will examine the concept of judicial independence.

The daylong symposium Friday, April 7, is titled “The Fragile Fortress” and will feature four federal judges, four legal scholars, a former U.S. attorney general and the chief justice of the Costa Rican Supreme Court.

5. Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ban on Beale Sweep - Thursday, October 20, 2016

A federal appeals court has confirmed that an eight-year-old Memphis Police Department policy of clearing the Beale Street entertainment district after 3 a.m. is unconstitutional.

The ruling Monday, Oct. 17, by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a 2015 permanent injunction by U.S. District Judge John McCalla that bars the practice.

6. Nailor’s Persistence Leads to Commutation - Thursday, December 25, 2014

In April, Larry Nailor will walk out of the Memphis Federal Correctional Institution and away from the life sentence he got in Memphis federal court in the mid-1990s for having 50 grams of crack cocaine.

7. Darker’s Diverse Background Translates Into Right Career - Thursday, November 21, 2013

Legalese is the formal language of the law that comes across as gibberish to those without a juris doctorate. For attorney Tatine Darker, though, it’s just one more etymological arrow in her quiver of languages.

8. Ruling Alters Fayette County Education Landscape - Friday, August 24, 2012

A court case, school closings, attendance zone changes as well as school system and county government differences.

The familiar sounding elements of a school system in transition, in this case, apply not to Shelby County Schools but to Fayette County Schools.

9. US Senate Confirms Fowlkes Appointment - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of John Fowlkes Jr. as the newest U.S. District Court Judge for Western Tennessee.

The 94-2 Senate floor vote Tuesday, July 10, included aye votes from Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, Mississippi Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker and Arkansas Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman.

10. US Senate Confirms Fowlkes Appointment - Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of John Fowlkes Jr. as the newest U.S. District Court Judge for Western Tennessee.

The 94-2 Senate floor vote Tuesday, July 10, included aye votes from Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, Mississippi Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker and Arkansas Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman.

11. After the Flood - Wednesday, July 4, 2012

It was at about this time a year ago that the floodwaters had at last receded from the cluster of mobile home parks around the intersection of U.S. 51 and North Watkins Road in Frayser.

The flooding of the Mississippi River and its tributaries marked the highest river levels at Memphis since the 1937 flooding that set the record for river flooding in Memphis.

12. Memphis Excellence In Fundraising Pitches - Friday, April 20, 2012

Here are the ABCs of making a fundraising pitch. Keep it short, clear and simple. Tell people what you are raising money for and how their gift will make an impact.

Here’s a local example. Returning to our workout program means, for us, returning to the Fogelman Downtown YMCA. Before we could even get in the door we knew fundraising was in full swing. We saw a more-than-life-sized fundraising “thermometer” and the names of people and families who had donated as we entered the facility.

13. Fed Drug Case Defendant Wants New Atty. - Monday, January 2, 2012

Just two and a half weeks before he goes on trial for racketeering, drug conspiracy and murder-for-hire charges, Clinton Lewis wants a new attorney.

14. City Closes Books on Dynamic Year - Thursday, December 29, 2011

If there’s one thing 2011 proved about the legal profession in Memphis, it’s how intrinsic it is to the daily ebb and flow of life in the city and how deeply enmeshed it is in the big news stories of the day, from politics to business.

15. Obama Nominates Fowlkes for Vacancy - Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The White House nomination of Criminal Court Judge John Fowlkes to be a U.S. District Court judge would return Fowlkes to the building where he once worked as a federal prosecutor.

16. Donald Continues ‘Marvelous Journey’ - Thursday, October 27, 2011

Some federal judges and even state judges use the word “isolation” to describe the experience of becoming a judge, especially if they had been politically active before coming to the bench.

17. Donald Takes Appeals Court Oath - Monday, October 24, 2011

Bernice Donald took the oath of office as the newest U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judge Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

18. Donald Takes Appeals Court Oath - Friday, October 21, 2011

Bernice Donald took the oath of office as the newest U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judge Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Cannon Center.

19. New School Board Preps For ‘Gargantuan Task’ - Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Martavius Jones didn’t stumble over his introduction at all Monday, Oct. 5, as seven new members of the new countywide school board took the oath of office.

“I used to be president of the Memphis City Schools board,” he said to a crowd of 400 that included officials of the two still separate school districts as well as family and friends of the new school board members. “This is a great day for all of Shelby County.”

20. Judge Donald Gets Week Off to Busy Start - Thursday, September 8, 2011

U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald came back from the Labor Day holiday to a busy Tuesday.

Donald issued a ruling Tuesday, Sept. 6, in favor of Shelby County in a lawsuit filed by local strip clubs over a more restrictive regulatory setup that will govern adult-oriented businesses.

21. Epilogue in Securities Fraud Case Concludes - Thursday, September 1, 2011

A postscript to the largest securities fraud cases ever tried in Memphis federal court came to a quiet end last month with a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald on an issue that comes up often in federal and state criminal cases.

22. MBA Young Lawyers Division Awarded for Service - Thursday, August 25, 2011

A public service project spearheaded by the Memphis Bar Association Young Lawyers Division was so impressive that the group of attorneys took home a first-place “Service to the Public” award and was recognized for “outstanding activities” at the American Bar Association’s annual meeting this month.

23. New Chances - Monday, July 11, 2011

Sean Summerall was late. He had a sick child to take to a doctor. There was little time to worry about the day’s schedule or getting dressed up. Recovering somewhat, he almost made the bus transfer to get Downtown but not quite.

24. 2010 Court Filings Show Mixed Bag - Monday, January 17, 2011

Court filings were a mixed bag in terms of their volume for 2010.

The three civil courts tracked by The Daily News Online (www.memphisdailynews.com) reported more filings in Circuit Court compared to 2009 and fewer filings in Chancery and Probate courts than in 2009.

25. Donald Nominated To Sixth Circuit By Obama - Thursday, December 2, 2010

U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald of Memphis has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

26. ABA Commission to Award Judge Donald - Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession will present its 2011 Spirit of Excellence Award to a longtime Memphis federal judge.

The ABA commission will present Judge Bernice Donald the award Feb. 12, during the 2011 ABA Midyear Meeting in Atlanta.

27. SCOTUS Denial Starts Clock On New Strip Club Rules - Tuesday, October 5, 2010

It was just one of dozens of case listings from the U.S. Supreme Court on the first Monday in October: Entertainment Productions, Inc. v. Shelby County et al.

28. Bouncing Back - Monday, September 20, 2010

When Jay Myers published a book in 2007 about how his Memphis-based videoconferencing company bounced back from a close brush with collapse, the world looked a lot different than it does today.

29. Memphians Share Legal Expertise with Thai Delegation - Thursday, August 19, 2010

Chancellor Arnold Goldin began a talk last week to a group in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald with a joke.

30. Flintco Cos. Names Clawson Marketing Coordinator - Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Beth Clawson has been named marketing coordinator for the Memphis office of The Flintco Cos. Inc. Clawson joined Flintco after serving as director of the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk in Memphis.

31. Doctor Tied to Waltz Sting Fined $5K in Corruption Case - Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Psychologist Dr. Roger Morgan was fined $5,000 Monday in the last corruption case with ties to the Tennessee Waltz sting.

32. Tenn. Judges to Hear Mock Trial Competition - Friday, April 16, 2010

Ten Memphis-area judges, including Chief Justice Janice M. Holder of the Tennessee Supreme Court, will volunteer at the 2010 American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament this weekend in Memphis.

33. UPDATE: Morgan Pleads Guilty In Ford Related Case - Monday, March 15, 2010

The trial might have taken a week.

Instead, Dr. Roger Morgan pleaded guilty Monday to one count of lying to federal agents about conversations he had in 2005 with former state Sen. John Ford.

34. Morgan to Plead Guilty Today - Monday, March 15, 2010

A Memphis psychologist with political ties to former state Sen. John Ford is scheduled to plead guilty today to charges that he lied to federal agents.

35. Morgan’s Trial Called Off, Hearing Set for Plea Change - Friday, March 12, 2010

Instead of picking a jury Monday in Memphis federal court, attorneys in the case of Dr. Roger Morgan are set to hear him plead guilty.

36. No Ford Testimony As Psychologist With Political Ties To Plead Guilty - Thursday, March 11, 2010
 

Instead of picking a jury Monday in Memphis federal court, attorneys in the case of Dr. Roger Morgan are set to hear him plead guilty.

Morgan’s trial date on charges he lied to federal agents about his political connections to former State Senator John Ford has been called off according to federal court records. Instead a change of plea hearing is set for Monday morning before U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald.

Morgan is not charged with bribing Ford. He is charged with lying to authorities about whether he paid Ford to support a prescription drug bill benefiting Morgan and other psychologists.

Ford, who is serving two prison terms for separate jury convictions on federal corruption charges, was moved to a federal prison in Memphis, to testify in the trial.

It is not clear whether Morgan will plead guilty to both counts of the 2008 indictment or whether there will be a plea deal. Details will be revealed at Monday’s hearing.

37. UPDATE: Psychologist With Ford Connection To Plead Guilty - Wednesday, March 10, 2010
 

Instead of picking a jury Monday in Memphis federal court, attorneys in the case of Dr. Roger Morgan are set to hear him plead guilty.

Morgan’s trial date on charges he lied to federal agents about his political connections to former State Senator John Ford has been called off according to federal court records. Instead a change of plea hearing is set for Monday morning before U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald.

Morgan is not charged with bribing Ford. He is charged with lying to authorities about whether he paid Ford to support a prescription drug bill benefiting Morgan and other psychologists.

Ford, who is serving two prison terms for separate jury convictions on federal corruption charges, was moved to a federal prison in Memphis, to testify in the trial.

It is not clear whether Morgan will plead guilty to both counts of the 2008 indictment or whether there will be a plea deal. Details will be revealed at Monday’s hearing.

38. Ruling Clears Path For Beer Ban In Strip Clubs - Thursday, March 4, 2010

Shelby County government is preparing to enforce new rules for strip clubs two years after the County Commission approved them.

A ruling Tuesday by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati sets the stage for enforcing the ordinance that bans beer and other alcoholic beverages from strip clubs. The new rules also include a system of permits and criminal background checks for all employees and owners.

39. Federal Appeals Court Sets Stage For Beer Ban In Strip Clubs - Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to rehear an appeal of its decision to back a county-wide ordinance regulating all adult oriented businesses.

The ruling Tuesday by the Cincinnati-based court sets the stage for enforcement of the ordinance that bans beer and other alcoholic beverages from strip clubs. The new rules also include a system of permits and criminal background checks for all employees and owners.

40. UPDATE: Federal Appeals Court Sets Stage For Beer Ban In Strip Clubs - Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to rehear an appeal of its decision to back a county-wide ordinance regulating all adult oriented businesses.

The ruling Tuesday by the Cincinnati-based court sets the stage for enforcement of the ordinance that bans beer and other alcoholic beverages from strip clubs. The new rules also include a system of permits and criminal background checks for all employees and owners.

41. Ford Prison Transfer Follows Attorney Change - Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Former state Sen. John Ford likely won’t have a lot to say if he’s called to testify during a Memphis federal trial next month, his attorney said in a recent court filing.

42. Blocked and Tackled - Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The credits have rolled on a four-year-old legal drama between Dallas-based movie rental chain Blockbuster Inc. and the franchise group that runs Blockbuster stores in Shelby and Davidson counties.

43. Ashby Brings Immigration Knowledge To Donati Firm - Thursday, October 29, 2009

Bryce W. Ashby recently rejoined the Donati Law Firm LLP after clerking for Judge Bernice Donald in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Ashby, who is fluent in Spanish and has worked extensively as an advocate and organizer in Latino and immigrant communities, practices in labor and employment law and civil rights law.

44. Blockbuster Suit Meets With Failed Injunction Request - Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Dallas-based movie rental chain Blockbuster Inc. has won an early round in a three-year-old dispute between it and the franchise group that runs Blockbuster stores in Shelby and Davidson counties.

45. High Court Ruling Could Pave New Way for MPD Suit - Thursday, July 16, 2009

A group of Memphis police officers might have reason to celebrate, as they could be among the first in the country to feel the positive effects of a high court ruling in a Title VII discrimination case.

46. County Schools Move on After Desegregation Case - Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Shifting school attendance zones and deciding where to build or close schools will still be controversial for those who lead the Shelby County school system.

But last week’s federal appeals court ruling ending court supervision of the school system will change the process.

47. County Schools Deseg Suit Over, Appeals Court Rules - Friday, May 22, 2009

The 46-year-old racial desegregation lawsuit that has governed the Shelby County school system for decades is over, according to a ruling Thursday from the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The ruling reverses a controversial 2007 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald.

48. Breaking News: County Schools Deseg Suit Over Appeals Court Rules - Thursday, May 21, 2009

The 46-year-old racial desegregation lawsuit that has governed the Shelby County school system for decades is over, according to a ruling today from the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The ruling reverses a controversial 2007 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald.

49. Peabody Hotel Wins Legal Fight Over Use of Name - Thursday, May 7, 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The Peabody hotel's prized marching ducks have gained a federal court's help in protecting their professional image.

An order issued by Judge Bernice Donald directs a Louisville, Ky., company called Peabody Painting and Waterproofing Inc. to change its name and stop using images that look like the hotel's ducks in its logo.

50. Scrap-Metal Dealers to Make Case in City Court - Thursday, May 7, 2009

Another round in the battle against scrap-metal theft is set for today, when the Memphis City Court hears protests from companies that haven’t complied with an ordinance requiring them to obtain a permit to recycle scrap metals such as copper and also to “tag and hold” purchased metals before processing them.

51. After Gridlock, Blockbuster Suit Flares Anew - Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Nothing probably seemed out of the ordinary to Blockbuster Inc. customers who visited the chain’s Memphis-area stores in the past few days looking for one of the week’s new releases, such as “Doubt” or “Yes Man.”

52. Medtronic Whistleblowers’ Case in Jeopardy - Thursday, March 12, 2009

A former Medtronic employee who filed two whistleblower lawsuits has lost one case on appeal and is trying to convince a judge not to dismiss the second one.

Jacqueline Poteet, who was the company’s travel services manager, may lose the second case because she was not the first whistleblower to file suit. In this lawsuit, she is joined by Bobbie Vaden, another former Medtronic employee in Memphis who worked for 16 years in the company’s accounting department.

53. Churchwell Sentenced To Five Months in Prison - Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The last defendant in the federal corruption investigation of former Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Sr. is going to prison for five months.

54. Downtown Dolls Loses Courtroom Battle - Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Downtown strip club owner has lost the opening round of a federal court fight with the city.

The lawsuit by 600 Marshall Entertainment Concepts LLC was filed in 2005 over the city’s issuance of the necessary permits for an adult entertainment business and then a rapid change of course by the city to ban the Downtown Dolls club.

55. MCS Funding Impasse Could Rewind County Deseg. Case - Wednesday, July 16, 2008

County school officials probably will be watching with great interest Thursday’s expected ruling by Shelby County Chancery Court Judge Kenny Armstrong in the Memphis City Schools funding case.

Armstrong ruled Friday that the Memphis chapter of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition has standing to proceed with a lawsuit against the city of Memphis over the local school funding issue. The civil rights group is pursuing a parallel lawsuit against the city at the same time Memphis City Schools – which is joined by the district’s charter schools and the Memphis Education Association – is suing the city.

56. Blockbuster, Franchisee Suit Moves to Mediation - Thursday, July 3, 2008

A Hollywood ending may be in store for a nearly two-year-old federal lawsuit filed in Memphis that deals with issues surrounding the growth of Blockbuster’s video rental empire.

The breach of contract lawsuit filed against Blockbuster Inc. by Southern Stores Video Inc. – the franchise ownership group for Blockbuster stores in Shelby County – is headed toward mediation, according to the court docket in the case. The suit was filed in September 2006 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

57. Donald to Receive ABA Achievement Award - Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section will honor U.S. District Court Judge Bernice B. Donald of Memphis with the inaugural Liberty Achievement Award.

The award raises awareness of the importance of diversifying the legal profession by honoring lawyers and judges who actively promote diversity within their legal communities.

58. Judge Won't Stop Enforcement Of Adult Bookstore Ordinance - Friday, May 2, 2008

For the second time in a week, a federal judge has denied an injunction to stop enforcement of the Shelby County ordinance that regulates adult-oriented businesses. But the denial by U.S. Magistrate Thomas Anderson is in the court challenge of the ordinance by two Memphis adult bookstores.

59. Strip Clubs Get Beer Ban Reprieve - Thursday, May 1, 2008

Memphis strip clubs received a reprieve this week from a beer ban the club owners claim will drive them out of business if it ever takes effect.

U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald Tuesday stayed enforcement of the new strip club ordinance in Memphis and unincorporated parts of Shelby County. The new rules, including a ban on any beer or alcoholic beverages in the clubs, was to take effect starting Wednesday at one minute past midnight.

60. Middle Eastern Visitors Get Look At Memphis Law System - Thursday, May 1, 2008

Saud y Al Sanea has seen temptation in the form of an iPod. It's not the iPod itself. The temptation is the card needed to upload music from iTunes to fill the iPod.

It can take two weeks to get one of the cards in Kuwait City where he is a public prosecutor at Kuwait's Ministry of Justice. But you can buy a knock-off version on the streets and some stores of Kuwait City much sooner.

61. Strip Club Beer Ban Stayed - Wednesday, April 30, 2008

62. Appeals Court Stays Desegregation Ruling - Monday, April 28, 2008

A federal appeals court has stayed the first move toward restarting large-scale, court-ordered racial desegregation of the Shelby County Schools system.

The ruling from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati specifically stays the appointment of a special master to oversee the formation of a plan to meet the guidelines set by U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald in a July court order. The move comes just before the Saturday deadline Donald set for all sides in the 45-year desegregation lawsuit to agree on who would serve as special master.

63. Strip Clubs Prepare For New Reality - Friday, April 25, 2008

The line forms at the Shelby County Clerk's office.

This week's federal court ruling denying a request by strip club owners to block enforcement of a new county ordinance governing them is set to take effect Wednesday.

64. Ordinance to Ban Beer in Strip Clubs to Take Effect Next Week - Thursday, April 24, 2008
The new Shelby County ordinance that bans beer sales in Memphis strip clubs will take effect next week despite a federal court suit challenging its constitutionality.

Late Wednesday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald denied a request by club owners for a preliminary injunction to block enforcement until the lawsuit is decided.

65. Donald Mulls Over Strip Club Beer Sales - Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Whether Memphis strip clubs continue to serve beer at the end of this month depends on a ruling to come in the next two weeks by U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald.

Donald's written ruling is to come on a motion by seven of the strip clubs to bar enforcement of the new ordinance pending trial and a court ruling on the constitutionality of the ordinance itself.

66. Hooks Jr., Other Corruption Cases In Court This Week - Friday, April 11, 2008

Before there was a Tennessee Waltz corruption sting, there was the matter of finding a job for Michael Hooks Jr.

His father, former Shelby County Board of Commissioners member Michael Hooks Sr., had supported Shep Wilbun's successful bid to win appointment as Juvenile Court clerk in 2000. In return for that support, he wanted a job for his son.

67. Hooks, Chuchwell Face Federal Court Appearances - Thursday, April 10, 2008

Former Memphis City School board member Michael Hooks Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to a month in prison for a consulting contract he had with the Juvenile Court Clerk’s office.As Hooks was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Breen, a player in another political corruption case was pleading guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald.

68. Churchwell Scheduled to Plead Guilty to Perjury Charges Today - Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Dennis Churchwell, the former landlord of former Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Sr., is scheduled to plead guilty today to perjury charges in Memphis federal court.

Churchwell had been scheduled to go to trial Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald. But a new federal court schedule posted Tuesday afternoon indicated there would be a change of plea hearing today instead.

69. School System Case Continues With Special Master Issue - Tuesday, April 1, 2008
     All sides in the 45-year-old Shelby County Schools System desegregation case have until April 26 to agree on a special master to oversee the restart of racial desegregation of the schools.
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70. Federal Judge Denies Stay in County Schools Desegregation Case - Friday, March 28, 2008

U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald has denied a stay of her July court order restarting the racial desegregation process in the Shelby County school system. In denying the stay, Donald ordered school leaders to appoint a special master by April 26 to oversee the desegregation process.

71. Churchwell Trial Set for Mid-April - Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Dennis Churchwell, the one-time landlord of former Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford, is scheduled to go to trial April 14 on federal perjury charges.

U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald set the trial date last week and Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Laurenzi estimated it will take about a week.

72. Churchwell Trial DateSet for April 14 - Friday, February 22, 2008
     An April 14 trial date has been set for Dennis Churchwell, charged with perjury in connection with the federal bribery case against former City Council member Edmund Ford Sr.
     U.S. Distri

73. Scrap Metal Companies File Claim Against City, State - Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Three Memphis scrap metal companies and the Tennessee Scrap Recyclers Association are taking the city of Memphis and the state of Tennessee to court over how the companies buy the metal from the public.

74. Strip Clubs File Suit Against City, County - Thursday, February 7, 2008

Owners of seven Memphis strip clubs are taking the city and county to court over the recently enacted ordinance governing the clubs and the dancers who are their main attraction.

The latest legal skirmish in the nearly 40-year history of attempts to regulate and occasionally close down the clubs involves some new arguments.

75. Attorneys in Churchwell CaseHave More Review Time - Monday, February 4, 2008
     Dennis Churchwell will decide later this month whether he wants to go to trial on federal perjury charges, plead guilty or work out some other arrangement.
     Churchwell made a brief appear

76. New County Schools Get Green Light, Wharton Insists Call Still on for Change - Friday, January 18, 2008

Before Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr. could get to Nashville this week for a meeting with Gov. Phil Bredesen, Memphis school board president Tomeka Hart scheduled her own meetings with each of the mayors.

77. Donald Allows School Construction While Mayors Call Off Meeting With Gov. - Thursday, January 17, 2008

U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald ruled Wednesday afternoon that the Shelby County school system can build two new schools – one middle school and an elementary school – to be ready for students in the 2009-2010 school year.

78. Simmons Sentenced to PrisonOn Tax Evasion Charge - Thursday, January 17, 2008
     The president of an outdoor sign company is going to prison for a year and a half on a tax evasion charge.
     Lawrence M. Simmons was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald

79. Donald Allows School Construction While Mayors Call Off Meeting With Gov. - Wednesday, January 16, 2008

U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald ruled Wednesday afternoon that the Shelby County school system can build two new schools – one middle school and an elementary school – to be ready for students in the 2009-2010 school year.

80. School Overcrowding Collides With Desegregation Decision, Appeals - Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Shelby County Schools officials want to build two new schools - a middle school and an elementary school in the Arlington-Lakeland area and Southeast Shelby County - and open them in time for the 2009-2010 school year.

81. Churchwell's Former Equipment Business on Elvis Presley Could be Replaced - Wednesday, December 19, 2007

New plans have been filed for a property on Elvis Presley Boulevard where businessman Dennis Churchwell was granted a special-use permit to operate his equipment business.

And among the myriad legal woes dogging Edmund Ford at the moment is the allegation in a federal indictment that he improperly helped Churchwell, his former landlord, obtain a special zoning permit from the Memphis City Council.

82. Judicial Evaluations Get Jaws Flapping and Tails Swishing in Legal Circles - Monday, December 17, 2007

A week after their release, the latest batch of judicial evaluations from Memphis Bar Association members remains a touchy subject in the legal community.

The evaluations have been controversial since the first surveys were mailed to attorneys in 1987. The survey moved from once a year to once every two years in 2001 after lots of discussion about whether the timing of them was intended to influence judicial elections.

83. Accidental Lawyer Enjoys Work From the Bankruptcy Bench - Thursday, December 13, 2007

Since her appointment more than 10 years ago as a federal judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Judge Jennie D. Latta has become a staunch force rallying against abuses of the bankruptcy system.

84. White Joins Junior Achievement As Exchange City Manager - Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Michael White has joined Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South as Exchange City manager.

Previously, White has served in various youth development positions in the community including as a YMCA youth counselor and director of the Stax Music Academy Summer Camp. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Memphis.

85. Tipton County Schools In Desegregation Clear - Friday, November 30, 2007

A predominantly white county school system and a predominantly black city school system. Talk of consolidation and more than 40 years of federal court intervention with the intent of ending racial segregation.

86. Local Book Now Sold By Major Retailers - Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Memphis businessman Jay Myers decided in 2004 to write a book about his professional career for much the same reason he launched his cutting-edge venture Interactive Solutions Inc.

He believed the shelves at book retailers already are plenty stocked with biographies of larger-than-life corporate executives and histories of multi-billion-dollar enterprises.

87. Judge Donald to be HonoredBy American Bar Association - Monday, October 8, 2007
     U.S. District Court Judge Bernice B. Donald will be honored at the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Family Law National Civil Rights luncheon, during the section's 2007 Fall Continuing Legal Education Conference

88. ABA to Bring Family Law Conference - Thursday, August 30, 2007

More than 200 attorneys from across the country will descend on Memphis in October for the American Bar Association's Family Law Conference, which will serve as the organization's national Continuing Legal Education (CLE) fall program.

89. County School Board Chooses to Fight Desegregation Order - Monday, August 6, 2007

Members of the Shelby County Schools Board of Education wasted little time in answering a stunning federal court ruling that promises to revive court-ordered desegregation of the county school system.

90. Donald Gives Thumbs Up To Southwind High, OKs New Middle School - Thursday, August 2, 2007

The newest high school in the Shelby County school system will open for the school year Aug. 13 with no last minute changes to its attendance zones.

U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald approved the zones late Tuesday for the new Southwind High School. The approval came less than a week after she ruled that the court order governing the desegregation of county schools will remain in effect.

91. Defining The 'Rule Of Law' Continues In Memphis - Thursday, August 2, 2007

The first-ever symposium on the Rule of Law brought together members of the international community with U.S. leaders such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and now -retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

92. Appeal Against Desegregation Case Is Brewing - Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Shelby County Board of Education members have some decisions to make in the wake of last week's ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald.

And Donald has some questions to answer. Those answers will better define options - most of which promise to change county schools profoundly if the ruling stands.

93. Desegregation Case Still Rules County Schools, Judge Decides - Monday, July 30, 2007

The 44-year-old court case that has governed Shelby County Schools for decades will continue to govern the assignment of students and teachers.

Judge Bernice Donald of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee late last week denied a motion to dismiss the Robinson vs. Shelby County Board of Education case in its entirety and declare the county school system unitary.

94. Schools Desegregation Case At Crossroads - Thursday, July 26, 2007

It began with the parents of 21 black Shelby County Schools students filing a lawsuit in the summer of 1963 to desegregate and integrate the school system.

In court records the case is called Claude Bernard Robinson vs. Shelby County Board of Education. It was filed nine years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education (1954) that racial segregation in schools should end with "all deliberate speed."

95. Ford Complaint Over Senate Expulsion Dismissed - Wednesday, July 18, 2007

MEMPHIS (AP) - A federal judge Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by state Sen. Ophelia Ford over her expulsion from the Legislature amid allegations of improper voting in a special election two years ago.

96. Namer Gets Nine Years Shaved off Sentence - Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The mastermind of the largest securities fraud case ever tried in Memphis federal court had his sentence reduced by nine years in a re-sentencing hearing late last week.

U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald sentenced David Namer to 20 years in prison, four years after she originally sentenced him to 29 years and two months.

97. Namer Up for Re-Sentencing Today - Friday, July 6, 2007

The largest securities fraud case ever brought in Memphis federal court returns to a courtroom today for the re-sentencing of its key player – David Namer.

98. Smith Pleads GuiltyTo Possession of Child Porn - Wednesday, June 20, 2007
     Memphis attorney Drayton Beecher Smith II, 57, has pleaded guilty to possession and receipt of child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer.
     Smith previously pleaded

99. Zoccola Reflects on MBA Presidency As She Prepares to Pass Torch - Thursday, November 30, 2006

Barbara Zoccola soon will pass on the presidential gavel of the Memphis Bar Association to her successor, David M. Cook, the current vice-president of the MBA. Cook will become president of the MBA Dec. 7 during the final installment of its "Law Inspires" series at The Peabody Hotel. The event is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m.

100. Wharton Presentation Closes Year Of 'Inspiring' Seminars - Thursday, November 30, 2006

When Barbara Zoccola was named 2006 Memphis Bar Association's president, she chose "Law Inspires ..." as the year's overriding thesis. It has since paid dividends.

"I chose the theme because law does inspire," Zoccola said last year when she first became president of the MBA. Almost one year later, that theme - and the seminars which it spawned - has come full circle in confirming that seed of thought.