My television debut

On Friday, I did my first on-camera interview since starting my new job as spokesperson for the Tennessee Court system. The Supreme Court released an opinion on Friday regarding Tennessee's so-called "crack tax", an anoymous tax on the possession of illegal substances that became effective on January 1, 2005. The Supreme Court struck down the law saying that the tax was unconstitutional.

Instead of explaining it all here, I'll let the video speak for itself. The interview was with Chris Cannon from Channel 5 in Nashville. Ironically, Chris and I have a mutual friend, Beth Howard Snyder, who used to live in Nashville (we miss you, Beth!).

Click here to watch the video. Enjoy!

Hearing in Huntingdon

June was a busy month for me as I spent several days traveling. After spending nearly a week in Memphis, my job took me to the tiny town of Huntingdon, Tenn., to be on-site for the latest Mary Winkler hearing. For those that might not remember, Mary Winkler was the woman who shot her preacher husband a few years ago. I won't bore you with the details, but this particular hearing involved a dispute over a trust fund that was set up to benefit Mary's children. You can read more about it here.

It was fascinating to be sitting in the courtroom to watch the hearing unfold. I was sitting just a few feet from Mary herself, along with a handful of television reporters. No matter what you think about her or her case, I can see why it attracted so much interest. It was an intriguing story that has few answers. It's complicated to say the least.

Huntingdon was a charming town and, in many ways, reminded me of home. The town was a good 20 minutes from the interstate and at least 45 minutes from the city of Jackson, Tenn. Everyone was so kind to me during my visit - it was southern hospitality at its finest. No one is a stranger in a small town - which is what I like best and worst at the same time. For the purposes of my visit, I thoroughly enjoyed that. For instance, one of the local judges invited my over to dinner one evening. They truly were the best restaurant in Huntingdon! And, on top of that, it certainly beat sitting in my hotel room all night.

One of the things I've enjoyed most about my job is getting to meet some amazing people. I'm excited to see where my job takes me next!

Walkin' in Memphis

Last month, I was in Memphis for the Tennessee Judicial Conference, which is the annual conference for the state's trial court judges. It was great to finally meet many of the folks I talk to on the phone every day!

One of the evenings, we went to the National Ornamental Metal Museum. It was hotter than blazes that night, but we had a fantastic view of the Mississippi River. I snapped a couple of photos from my phone and thought the were worth sharing.

I didn't get to tour the museum, but the grounds itself were quite beautiful. The top photo on the right shows one of the metal sculptures on the grounds. The bottom photo shows one of the buildings at night right before we left. It was gorgeous!

My new perch

I'm sure most readers of this blog know this (as this is really old news), but I started a new job at the beginning of May. I am now the public information officer for the Tennessee Supreme Court/Administrative Office of the Courts. In this role, I work with the media on behalf of the court system and am working on the re-design of our Web site. I've also set up a Twitter feed for the court system. You read about my announcement here (you have to scroll down the page a bit). It's been an interesting job so far. Already, I've been quoted in a number of newspapers and have been on-site for a trial (the recent Mary Winkler hearing - you can read about it here).

I'm also fortunate enough to have an office with a gorgeous view. I work in the Nashville City Center downtown. Here's what it looks like...

I work on the sixth floor and have a pretty spectacular view.

This is one of the views from my office. This is the legislative plaza (the short building with trees on top) and War Memorial Auditorium behind it.

Looking directly across the street, I can see the historic Hermitage Hotel. Lots of famous folks have stayed there.

This is the other view down 6th Ave, which is just down the street from the legislative plaza.

All that being said, I'm thrilled with the new gig and feel really blessed for this opportunity. Stay tuned for further details!