Recent legal filings include new allegations of public corruption on the part of Johnson City police, Tennessee Lookout reports. These include claims that the department knew as early as July 2020 of specific allegations that Williams had sexually abused children; that the police department failed to gather, test, investigate and disclose evidence of Williams’ crimes, and in some cases altered police reports and destroyed evidence; and that some officers received hundreds of thousands of dollars in unaccounted-for income. The new accusations come as part of a federal suit against Williams, in which his alleged victims accuse the Johnson City Police Department of failing to protect them. Previous allegations have included accusations that police collected, extorted or stole money from Williams while turning a blind eye to his crimes. In addition to several lawsuits, the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a public corruption probe into the police department's handling of the case. Williams is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on child pornography production charges.

Racist, anonymous text messages invoking slavery were sent to Black students across the country last week, including at Fisk University in Nashville and the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. According to the Associated Press, the messages generally used a similar tone, but varied in wording. Some instructed recipients to show up at an address at a particular time “with your belongings,” while others mentioned the incoming presidential administration. Fisk issued a statement calling the messages “deeply unsettling.” Messages sent to UT students told recipients they had been selected to pick cotton at a nearby plantation with instructions on how to report to work. The FBI said it is in touch with the U.S. Justice Department, and the Federal Communications Commission said it is investigating the texts “alongside federal and state law enforcement."

Gabby Salinas last week was elected to represent District 96 as the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to serve in the Tennessee state legislature. Salinas won the Democratic primary after Rep. Dwayne Thompson, D-Memphis, chose not to run for reelection in August. She then ran unopposed in the general election. According to the Commercial Appeal, Salinas previously ran for the state Senate in 2018 and state House in 2020. The state legislature remains unchanged by party, with Republicans still holding 75 seats in the House and 27 seats in the Senate.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold three legal advice clinics this week. Tomorrow, the group will hold a walk-in clinic at the Gallatin Civic Center from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 210 Albert Gallatin Ave., Gallatin 37066. On Wednesday, a clinic for veterans will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37203. On Thursday, a walk-in clinic will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Greenhouse Ministries, 309 S. Academy St., Murfreesboro 37130. All times central. Learn more about each event at the links above. Attorneys who would like to volunteer at an LAS clinic can sign up here.

Davidson County lawyer Wendell Cornelius Dawson was reinstated to the practice of law on Nov. 7. He had been suspended on Jan. 26 for three years, with three months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. His reinstatement is conditioned on engaging a practice monitor during the probationary period and incurring no new complaints related to the conduct for which he was suspended.

A federal judge on Thursday struck down a Biden administration policy designed to ease the path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens. The initiative known as “Keeping Families Together” allowed undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to apply for a green card without first having to leave the country.  Texas-based U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker put the policy on hold in August after Texas and 15 other states filed a legal challenge. This week he found that the administration overstepped its authority by implementing the program and stretching the legal interpretation of relevant immigration law, National Public Radio reports.

A historical marker honoring Judge Robert E. Lillard, a former Nashville City Council member and civil rights advocate, will be unveiled Nov. 9, at 1062 2nd Ave. South in Nashville. The ceremony will begin at noon. The Metro Historical Commission, Council Member Terry Vo and the Lillard family will join elected officials and community members in celebrating Lillard's legacy. Lillard, who died in 1991, was elected to the city council in 1951 and served as the body's first African American speaker pro tempore in 1967. He later was appointed to Nashville's 1st Circuit Court. The marker is part of the Metro Historical Commission's program to recognize significant figures and events in Nashville's history. The Napier-Looby Bar Association has more information on the event.

Tennessee voters turned out in almost the same record numbers they did in 2020. The Secretary of State’s office says over three million Tennesseans cast a ballot. WPLN reports that’s down less than 1% compared to the 2020 turnout after a swell of in-person voters on Election Day. Compared with four years ago, early voter turnout was down 2.89%, but voters who showed up on election day nearly made up for that gap. Turnout on election day almost matched the last pre-pandemic election in 2016, the station reports. 

The Nashville Metro Council has approved a resolution to accept a grant to process rape kits faster, which in turn will help close cases faster, WSMV4 reports. The DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will provide $250,000 to pay for the outsourcing of sexual assault kit processing to private vendors. A statewide backlog in rape kit processing was brought to light two years ago when Eliza Fletcher was attacked and killed in Memphis. Since then, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has ramped up testing and outsourcing.

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) confirmed on Thursday that due to insufficient in-state resources children are being placed with out-of-state providers, WSMV4 reports. As of October, 229 children had been placed out of state due to lack of resources. DCS says it is working to address the issue by recruiting more providers in Tennessee, expanding its placement network and implementing a real estate plan to create additional capacity. To help families maintain connections during this time, the department says it is providing financial assistance to offset travel costs.