Doug Earthman Jr. has been promoted to business development associate at Geotechnology Inc., a geotechnical engineering and environmental services firm. In his new role, he’ll develop and maintain relationships with clients throughout Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas in markets that include transportation, manufacturing, energy, institutional and commercial developments.

2. Lipscomb Resigns As HCD Director Following More Allegations - Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Less than 24 hours after word of his suspension following an allegation of sexual misconduct, city of Memphis Housing and Community Development director Robert Lipscomb resigned the post Monday, Aug. 31.

3. More Details on Lipscomb’s Alleged Sexual Misconduct - Monday, August 31, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. confirmed Monday, Aug. 31, that allegations of sexual misconduct were made in a Seattle criminal complaint against city Housing and Community Development director Robert Lipscomb.

4. Breen Takes Over as Chief Federal Judge - Saturday, September 7, 2013

U.S. District Judge Daniel Breen is the new chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

5. Breen Takes Over as Chief Federal Judge - Monday, September 2, 2013

U.S. District Judge Daniel Breen is the new chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

6. Federal Judge Dismisses Former Chief's Lawsuit - Wednesday, October 10, 2012

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) – A federal judge has dismissed the wrongful firing lawsuit filed by a former West Tennessee police chief.

According to The Jackson Sun, U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen granted summary judgment on Sept. 28 to the defendants, who were the City of Bolivar and several local public officials.

7. Election Winners Take Oaths of Office - Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Labor Day weekend served as a political marker for past and future events in Memphis politics.

The four Shelby County general election winners from the Aug. 2 vote are officially in office as the weekend ends and the workweek begins.

8. Big Tobacco Cutting Contracts with US Farmers - Thursday, May 20, 2010

CYNTHIANA, Ky. (AP) - After years of faithfully supplying leaf to tobacco giant Philip Morris International, farmer Jess Burrier received a postcard, thanking him for his contributions and telling him his service wasn't needed this year.

9. Commercial Appeal, Union To Discuss Latest Contract Offer - Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Representatives of The Commercial Appeal and its employee union will try to find some middle ground when they meet this weekend to resolve contract negotiations that have dragged on for six years.

A meeting between the Memphis Newspaper Guild and the company is set for 2 p.m. Sunday.

10. Arkansas Man Sentenced To 10 Years for Obama Plot - Monday, April 19, 2010

A young white supremacist was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for conspiring to kill then-presidential candidate Barack Obama and dozens of other blacks.

U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Paul Schlesselman, 19, of Helena-West Helena, Ark. He had pleaded guilty in January to his role in the plot.

11. Cowart Pleads In Obama Assassination Plot - Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The case of two rural West Tennessee men accused of plotting to kill President Barack Obama at his inauguration ended Monday as the second of the two suspects pleaded guilty.

In a hearing Monday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Daniel Breen in Jackson, Tn., Daniel Cowart pleaded guilty to eight counts of conspiracy, firearms charges, intentional damage to religious property and threatening to kill a major candidate for President.

12. Cowart Pleads in Obama Assassination Plot - Monday, March 29, 2010

The case of two rural West Tennessee men accused of plotting to kill President Barack Obama at his inauguration ended Monday as the second of the two suspects pleaded guilty.

In a hearing Monday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Daniel Breen in Jackson, Tn., Daniel Cowart pleaded guilty to eight counts of conspiracy, firearms charges, intentional damage to religious property and threatening to kill a major candidate for President.

13. John Ford’s Appeal Denied by Federal Judges - Friday, August 28, 2009

Federal appellate judges have rejected former state Sen. John Ford’s appeal of his public corruption conviction in Memphis.

A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a district court judge’s ruling that Ford be sent to prison for 5 1/2 years.

14. Judge Won't Toss Evidence in Plot Against Obama - Tuesday, June 9, 2009

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - A federal judge has refused to throw out prosecution evidence against two white supremacists charged with plotting to kill President Barack Obama and dozens of other black people.

15. Evidence Hearing Continues in Alleged Plot - Monday, April 20, 2009

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - A court hearing continues in Jackson for two white supremacists accused of plotting to kill President Barack Obama and dozens of other black people.

Lawyers for 20-year-old Daniel Cowart of Bells, Tenn., and 18-year-old Paul Schlesselman of Helena-West Helena, Ark., are trying to get government evidence against the pair dismissed by federal Judge J. Daniel Breen.

16. Judge Refuses to Dismiss Charge in Obama Plot - Thursday, March 26, 2009

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - One of two men accused of plotting to kill President Barack Obama and dozens of other black people has failed to get a threat charge against him dismissed.

A federal judge in Jackson, Tenn., says the threat charge will remain in the multi-count indictment against accused white supremacist Paul Schlesselman.

17. Suppression Hearing Set in Alleged Obama Plot - Tuesday, March 3, 2009

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - A federal judge is set to hear arguments next week that law enforcement agents improperly questioned and searched one of two young men charged with plotting to kill President Barack Obama and dozens of other black people.

18. Cooper’s Report Date Delayed to April - Wednesday, December 31, 2008

He was supposed to report to the U.S. Penitentiary in Florence, Colo., Tuesday. But one week after former local political consultant Joe Cooper filed a sealed motion in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen signed an order allowing Cooper more time before he begins serving his sentence.

19. Defense Awaiting State Evidence in Alleged Plot - Monday, December 15, 2008

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - Defense lawyers say they haven't yet seen the government's evidence against two young white supremacists accused of plotting to kill President-elect Barack Obama.

At a brief federal court hearing Friday in Jackson, defense attorneys for Daniel Cowart of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman of Helena-West Helena, Ark., said they were still getting evidence from the government, including what they expect to be voluminous files from their clients' home computers.

20. Cooper Sentenced: Six Months in Jail, Six of House Arrest - Thursday, June 19, 2008

Former Shelby County Board of Commissioners member Joe Cooper was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison and six months of house arrest for helping drug dealers launder their drug money.

Cooper’s sentence could have been closer to three years under federal sentencing guidelines. But prosecutors recommended a lower sentence because of Cooper’s role as the government’s key witness in the corruption trial of former Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Sr. and the guilty plea of former Memphis City Council member Rickey Peete on bribery charges.

21. Songbird Cooper Anticipates Own Day in Court - Wednesday, May 28, 2008

With the jury verdict last week acquitting former Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Sr. on six counts of bribery and extortion, the book has been closed on that federal corruption case against him.

22. U.S. District Judges Shifting Courtrooms - Monday, May 5, 2008
     The six U.S. District Court judges in West Tennessee will be changing courtrooms with the recent confirmation of Thomas Anderson by the U.S. Senate as the newest district judge.
     The U.S.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. Foreclosure Notice FiledFor Mitchell-Ford's Home - Monday, April 7, 2008
     Tamara Mitchell-Ford's River Oaks home is facing foreclosure for the second time in less than a year. A first-run foreclosure notice has been filed for the property at 981 Village Oak Cove in The Village of River Oaks, a

27. Council Wrangles With Strip Club Ordinance - Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Memphis City Council's discussion about regulating strip clubs lurched back to life this month with council passage on the second of three readings of a controversial ordinance.

Much of the council's debate dealt with passing an ordinance that would replace the one passed by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners last year that covers the unincorporated county as well as Memphis.

28. Breen Orders Ford to Prison - Friday, February 29, 2008

Former state Sen. John Ford was ordered Thursday to begin serving in the next two months his five-and-a-half year prison sentence for a bribery charge.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen ruled on the second day of a hearing that involved who will care for Ford's four minor children. Breen delayed Ford's prison report date last year after his ex-wife, Tamara Mitchell-Ford, lost custody of the children and began serving her own prison sentence for drunk driving.

29. Ford Ordered to Begin Prison Sentence Within Two Months - Thursday, February 28, 2008

Former State Senator John Ford was ordered today to begin in the next two months serving his five-and-a-half-year prison sentence on a bribery charge.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Breen made his ruling on the second day of a hearing that involved who will care for Ford’s children with his ex-wife Tamara Mitchell Ford.

30. Ford Report Date Put Off Until Thursday - Wednesday, February 27, 2008

U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen has continued until Thursday a hearing on when former State Sen. John Ford must report to prison.

At a hearing this morning, Breen said he wants to hear from the attorney for Ford’s imprisoned ex-wife about when she might be released from prison and be able to care for their children.

31. Bowers Receives 16-Month Prison Sentence - Monday, February 18, 2008

She came to federal court on Valentine's Day wearing red - her hair a slightly different shade of red than her jacket. Some of her supporters wore red as well and carried homemade signs with hearts on them.

32. Bowers Sentenced to 16 Months in Waltz Case - Friday, February 15, 2008

Former State Sen. Kathryn Bowers was sentenced to one year and four months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Breen Thursday after pleading guilty this summer to one bribery count. Bowers admitted taking $11,500 in bribes during an undercover FBI sting operation named Tennessee Waltz.

33. Bowers Sentenced to 16 Months in Waltz Case - Thursday, February 14, 2008

Former State Sen. Kathryn Bowers was sentenced to one year and four months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Breen this afternoon after pleading guilty this summer to one bribery count. Bowers admitted taking $11,500 in bribes during an undercover FBI sting operation named Tennessee Waltz.

34. Bowers to Be Sentenced Today - Thursday, February 14, 2008

Former state Sen. Kathryn Bowers is due in Memphis federal court this afternoon to be sentenced for taking bribes in the Tennessee Waltz corruption sting.

The hearing comes after Bowers pleaded guilty in July to one count of bribery. By then Bowers had given up the Senate seat she held for only 15 days before she was charged with extortion and bribery in 2005. The guilty plea and resignation from the legislature as well as her post of chairman of the local Democratic Party ended a public life that spanned more than 30 years, starting with service on the Shelby County Election Commission and including five full terms in the state House.

35. Kathryn BowersSentencing Delayed - Wednesday, January 23, 2008
     The sentencing of former state Sen. Kathryn Bowers on corruption charges has been delayed to Feb. 14.
     U.S. District Judge Daniel Breen ordered the delay last week at the request of defe

36. Latest Waltz Defendant Receives Probation - Tuesday, January 22, 2008

It has finally happened in a Tennessee Waltz case. When former state Sen. Ward Crutchfield of Chattanooga was sentenced last week, his attorney and his friends tried to minimize what he did wrong. They did it in a way that none of the other five former lawmakers who have been sentenced have tried.

37. Crutchfield Avoids Jail Time, Gets 2 Years Probation - Friday, January 18, 2008

Former state Sen. Ward Crutchfield of Chattanooga avoided jail time Thursday and was instead sentenced to two years probation for taking a bribe in the Tennessee Waltz corruption sting.

In Memphis federal court, U.S. District Judge Daniel Breen cited the poor health of the 79-year-old veteran legislator and former attorney in sentencing him to probation.

38. Hooks Jr. Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge - Friday, January 11, 2008

The last of the Tennessee Waltz-related corruption cases was resolved Thursday in federal court in Memphis.

Former Memphis city school board member Michael Hooks Jr. pleaded guilty to a charge of theft - converting to his own use the property of another. The guilty plea came at a hearing that was scheduled to be a report date in advance of a trial on that charge as well as charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal agents.

39. Hooks Jr. Pleads Guilty to Federal Corruption Charge - Thursday, January 10, 2008

Former Memphis City Schools board member Michael Hooks Jr. pleaded guilty Thursday morning to a federal corruption charge.

The guilty plea came at what was supposed to be a report date in advance of Hooks’ trial on conspiracy, obstruction of justice, false statements and theft charges.

40. Cooper Sentencing Delayed Until May - Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Prosecutors have filed a motion in federal court asking that the sentencing of former Shelby County Commissioner Joe Cooper, previously set for Thursday, be delayed about four months.

Federal prosecutors asked for a 120-day continuance so Cooper can help them continue to build a bribery and corruption case against Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford. Cooper, once a fixture at City Hall where he lobbied the council on behalf of clients he represented, is expected to take the witness stand at Ford's coming trial.

41. Prison Delayed for Ford - Friday, November 30, 2007

Former state Sen. John Ford won't begin serving his five-and-a-half-year prison sentence for bribery at least until the end of February.

U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen postponed Ford's prison report date Wednesday citing Ford's role as guardian of his four children with his former wife Tamara Mitchell-Ford.

42. Judge Gives John Ford Delay in Reporting to Prison - Wednesday, November 28, 2007
MEMPHIS (AP) - Former state Sen. John Ford won a delay in reporting to prison after arguing Wednesday that locking him up would leave his youngest children without either parent since his ex-wife is in jail.

43. Judge Defers Ford's Jailing - Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Former state Sen. John Ford will not be reporting to prison later this month as scheduled.

Monday, U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen delayed the Oct. 17 report date to a federal prison in Anthony, Texas, possibly until sometime in December or after Ford is tried on federal corruption charges in Nashville.

44. Ford Sentenced To Five Years And Six Months - Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Former state Sen. John Ford was sentenced Tuesday to five years and six months in prison for taking $55,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents in the main chapter of the Tennessee Waltz corruption sting.

45. TN Waltz Bag ManGets One Year in Prison - Monday, August 6, 2007
     Charles Love, an admitted "bag man" in the Tennessee Waltz political corruption cases, was sentenced Thursday to one year and a day in prison.
     Love, a former lobbyist and member of the H

46. Chattanooga's CrutchfieldWill Resign From Senate - Monday, July 30, 2007
     Convicted Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga, plans to resign from the General Assembly Aug. 6, according to a letter copied to his Democratic colleagues.
     The letter, which also was se

47. Bowers Pleads Guilty to Bribery - Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Former state Sen. Kathryn Bowers, D-Memphis, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of bribery. In the plea deal, federal prosecutors agreed to drop five extortion counts after sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 24 before U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen.

48. Tennessee Waltz Keeps DancingWith Latest Guilty Pleas - Monday, July 16, 2007
     Federal prosecutors are closing in on a clean sweep in convictions of state lawmakers charged in the Tennessee Waltz corruption scandal.
     State Sen. Ward Crutchfield pleaded guilty to bri

49. Latest Tennessee Waltz TrialCloser to Start - Friday, June 29, 2007
     The next trial of a state lawmaker that resulted from the Tennessee Waltz public corruption investigation is drawing closer. State Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga, will go to trial July 16 in Memphis before U.S. Dis

50. When it Comes To Cooper’s Proposed Restaurant, Questions Abound - Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Judging by his living circumstances alone, it would be difficult to argue the topless club business has been anything less than wildly profitable for Steven Craig Cooper.

Cooper, reportedly a high school dropout and later a self-made entrepreneur who built a network of successful adult entertainment clubs, splits his time between Phoenix and Memphis. The Bluff City is where he keeps a nine-room stucco home in an upscale neighborhood that currently is appraised at more than $700,000.

51. Michael Hooks Sr.Receives His Sentence - Friday, December 8, 2006
     Former Shelby County Commissioner Michael Hooks Sr. was sentenced to two years and two months of federal imprisonment for his role in the Tennessee Waltz public corruption investigation.
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52. Hooks Announces Resignation From County Commission - Wednesday, August 16, 2006
     Michael Hooks Sr. announced at Monday's Shelby County Commissioners meeting that he plans to resign his post effective Monday at 12:01 a.m., the day he's set to go on trial for his role in the Tennessee Waltz scandal. Hi

53. Commercial Appeal Management Dealt Legal Blow - Friday, February 24, 2006

In 1997, the future looked good for the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the daily newspaper of the city of Spokane, Wash., and one of the few family-owned newspapers left in the country.

That year, the paper and its staffers took home top honors in two journalism contests. The paper's editor at the time, who would later serve as president of the Associated Press Managing Editors association, already had helped it garner a slew of awards for reporting, design and photography. During his tenure, the Columbia Journalism Review named the paper one of the 25 best in the country.

54. Commercial Appeal Gets Slap on Wrist - Thursday, February 23, 2006
The Newspaper Guild of Memphis celebrated a victory last week after a long-running labor dispute between its members, the Commercial Appeal and the paper's publishing company. J. Daniel Breen, a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Tenne

55. Archived Article: Law Briefs - Thursday, October 17, 2002
Thomas R

Thomas R. Buckner and Henry L. Klein were selected for inclusion in the 2003-2004 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Both are members of Apperson, Crump & Maxwell. The Memphis Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants d...

56. Archived Article: Calendar - Monday, October 14, 2002
Calendar of events Oct

Calendar of events Oct. 14-Oct. 20

Oct. 14

The Jewish Community Center Theatre, 6560 Poplar Ave., hosts a lottery referendum debate at 7 p.m. Speaking for the lottery referendum is state Sen. Steve Cohen, Student Scho...

57. Archived Article: Law Briefs - Thursday, September 25, 1997
The Memphis/Mid-South chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the U The Memphis/Mid-South chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association and West Tenn...

58. Archived Article: Law Briefs - Thursday, September 18, 1997
The Memphis/Mid-South chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the U The Memphis/Mid-South chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association and West Tenn...

59. Archived Article: Law Cle - Thursday, June 19, 1997
By SUZANNE THOMPSON Traveling and training Tennessee lawyers can earn continuing legal education credits while watching the palm trees sway By SUZANNE THOMPSON The Daily News Just imagine white sand beaches, blue sky, the crash of the surf. This is ...