Fatal drug overdoses in Nashville continue to decline in the third quarter of the year, mirroring a national trend that has seen death counts fall for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Nashville Banner. As of Sept. 30, there were 391 fatal overdoses in Nashville, a 26% drop compared to last year. The data also shows there were nearly 1,100 suspected overdose-related emergency room visits through the first three quarters of 2024 marking a 28% drop.

Knox County Criminal Court Judge Hector Sanchez is Tennessee’s first Hispanic trial court judge. Raised by a single mother, he overcame challenges to pursue his passion for law. Sanchez moved to Knoxville in 2003 and interned at the Knox County District Attorney’s office throughout law school. After serving in the Marine Corps and working as a prosecutor, Sanchez was appointed to the bench in 2022. According to a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Sanchez credits his military experience and upbringing for shaping his perspective as a judge, allowing him to empathize with defendants while maintaining a commitment to justice. Sanchez also presides over the Knox County Veterans Treatment Court.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, alongside a bipartisan coalition of 30 state attorneys general, today announced the completion of a $1.37 billion settlement agreement with Kroger, addressing the grocery chain’s role in the opioid crisis. Tennessee will receive up to $42.9 million for opioid abatement, with payments to begin early next year. According to a press release from Skrmetti's office, Tennessee has secured more than $1 billion in settlements from various parties involved in the crisis, with most funds directed to the state’s Opioid Abatement Fund. Kroger has agreed to injunctive relief that requires its pharmacies to monitor, report and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ordered a change in the classification of personal contact information that attorneys provide to the Board of Professional Responsibility. Personal contact information now will be considered confidential and not public record. The change was requested by the board in June. After receiving comments from the Tennessee Bar Association, the Knoxville Bar Association and others that lawyers should be asked to provide alternative contact information that can be made public, the court allowed TBA and the board to develop new language, which it now has adopted. The alternative contact information must be submitted by Jan. 1, 2025. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration will host Gov. Bill Lee’s public budget hearings for Fiscal Year 2026 on Nov. 5, 6, 12 and 13. The hearings will be live streamed. Check the department's website for the schedule of dates and times for individual state agency hearings.

Early voting in Tennessee concluded Thursday with over two million ballots cast, marking about 42% of total expected turnout. Overall, early voting was down about 2.9% compared to last year, though in-person early voting increased by 60,000 votes for a new state record. A 60% decrease in absentee ballots — which had surged in 2020 due to the pandemic — more than countered the in-person increase, the Nashville Banner reports. Election Day is Tuesday. Visit the Tennessee Secretary of State website to find polling locations, sample ballots, election information and more. The American Bar Association also has nonpartisan resources, programs and information to support voting, civic engagement and the electoral process.

Candidates who passed the July 2024 Tennessee Bar Exam were admitted to the practice of law at a ceremony in Knoxville today. Representatives from the Tennessee Bar Association and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. See photos from today. Ceremonies continue this week with events in Nashville tomorrow, Jackson on Wednesday and Memphis on Thursday. Watch for coverage and photos from these events coming soon in TBA Today and on social media.

Four legal advice clinics are being held this week across the state. In Nashville, the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a clinic on Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. at the Nashville library and on Saturday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the McHugh Clinic. In Memphis, the Memphis Bar Association and Memphis Area Legal Services will hold an Attorney of the Day Clinic on Thursday from 1-3 p.m. at the Shelby County General Sessions Courthouse and the Second Saturday Legal Aid Clinic from 10 a.m. to noon at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library. All times central. Sign up online to help at the Nashville clinics. Contact Heather Staggs to volunteer for the Memphis clinics.

TBA's annual Hot Topics in Real Estate seminar, presented in partnership with the Tennessee Land Title Association, will be held virtually on Nov. 8 from 9 a.m to 4:15 p.m. CST. Topics will include powers of attorney, the new FINCEN rules, AI and the annual case law and legislative updates. Participants include Al Frazier with Fidelity National Financial Title Group, Ryan Martinez with Alliant National Title Insurance, Dr. Susan Tanner with the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, and Charles Welch Jr. with Phelps Dunbar. Real Estate Section members enjoy discounted registration fees. Not a member of the section? Join here.

Rideshare drivers in Tennessee are advocating for legislation to ban out-of-state drivers from operating within the state. Drivers have formed an organization to advocate for change and say they are in the process of working with an attorney to create a proposal to share with lawmakers next month, aiming for its introduction during the next legislative session, Fox Chattanooga reports. Drivers argue that the influx of out-of-state drivers, and a ban on out-of-state drivers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky, has oversaturated the market, leading to decreased earnings. The group will also be holding a strike regarding this issue on Nov. 20.