The Tennessee Supreme Court in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee, the Tennessee Alliance of Legal Services (TALS) and the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will hold a minority-owned business advice legal clinic on July 18 from 4-6 p.m. EDT. The event will take place at the Knoxville Area Urban League, 1514 East 5th Ave., Knoxville 37917 and pre-registration is required. View a flyer for the clinic.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a case that had placed significant restrictions on government officials’ ability to communicate with social media companies regarding their content-moderation policies, NPR reports. In a 6 to 3 decision authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court reversed a lower court ruling on the ground those challenging the interactions lacked standing. The case arose from the Biden administration’s efforts to address the spread of false information around certain issues including COVID-19 vaccines and foreign interference in elections. The court did not decide the question of what precisely constitutes permissible contacts between executive branch officials and social media companies. SCOTUSblog has more on the case.

Retired Sullivan County Chancellor E.G. Moody died June 16 at the age of 79 years. Moody earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1971 and practiced with the Kingsport law firm of Hawkins, Moody, Bingham and Miller for 35 years. He was elected to the 2nd Judicial District Chancery Court in September 2006 and retired in 2022 after 16 years of service. Among his professional accomplishments, Moody presided over the landmark “Baby Doe” case against opioid manufacturers, which yielded a $35 million settlement. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to The Crumley House, 300 Urbana Rd., Limestone, TN 37681, or a charity of the donor’s choice. Read reflections from those who worked with him from WJHL.

Mark your calendar for the 2024 Disability Law Forum, to be hosted as a live virtual event on Oct. 25. The half-day program will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT. Sessions will cover a variety of topics applicable to disability law practitioners, including a vocational expert discussing the use of artificial intelligence when reviewing files, a DDS/OHO update and more. Participants include Gallatin lawyer Christopher George and Knoxville lawyer Emma Drozdowski Webb, as well as representatives from Tennessee Disability Determination Services.

A U.S. Supreme Court opinion in a case challenging Idaho's near-total abortion ban was "inadvertently and briefly" uploaded to the court's website today, according to a spokesperson for the court, who added that the opinion in Moyle v. United States "will be issued in due course," according to Newsweek. The accidentally shared document indicated the court would dismiss Idaho’s appeal in the case, allowing emergency abortions in the state, but did not address other issues raised in the case. With two opinion days left, the justices have just under a dozen rulings to announce this term, including Moyle. AP has a link to the unofficial document.

The Knoxville Bar Foundation inducted 10 new fellows during a reception yesterday. The new members are: Joshua J. Bond, Donald J. Farinato, Bryce E. Fitzgerald, Janet S. Hayes, Joan M. Heminway, Benjamin W. Jones, B. Chase Kibler, James S. MacDonald, Brandon L. Morrow and Robert P. Noell. The foundation is a not-for-profit entity established to improve public awareness of the legal system in Knoxville, the administration of justice, and the delivery of legal services through its grant program. Read more in this release. See a photo of the group.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order soliciting comments on a proposal from the Board of Professional Responsibility to amend Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, section 10.1 regarding the confidentiality of attorneys’ contact information. On June 18, the board petitioned the court to amend its rules to “classify as confidential and not public record the personal addresses and contact information Tennessee attorneys provide to the board.” Comments should be submitted by July 26 and should reference docket number ADM2024-00922. Comments may be emailed to Appellate Court Clerk James Hivner or mailed to 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219.

A third lawsuit has been filed against Johnson City, its police force and more than two dozen officers by a woman who says police took bribes to protect a serial rapist, WJHL reports. Mikayla Evans alleges that local businessman Sean Williams drugged her and then pushed her from a fifth-story window during an attempted sexual assault. Tennessee Lookout reports that she suffered life-threatening injuries that left her bedridden for two years. The suit also alleges that in exchange for cash, police did not investigate, arrest or charge Williams; intentionally destroyed evidence; and allowed Williams to destroy evidence. The new suit is the latest in an ongoing investigation. Last year, a lawsuit filed by nine women alleged a wider corrupt scheme by Johnson City police to shield Williams after he was accused of sexual assault by multiple women. In 2022, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kateri Dahl filed a whistleblower suit against the city and police chief arguing that her efforts to investigate Williams were thwarted. Williams is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on federal and state charges connected to sexual exploitation of children and a previous escape from custody.

A majority of respondents to a Vanderbilt University poll expressed dissatisfaction with how democracy functions. According to the school, its “Unity Poll” found that 63% were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. When broken down by party, 68% of Republicans and 57% of Democrats expressed this view. The poll also showed that 49% believe American democracy is under attack (53% for Republicans and 35% for Democrats). The poll found similar patterns when asking whether the U.S. Constitution is under attack.

Among the more than 200 new Tennessee laws taking effect on July 1 are two that address penalties for specific crimes, reports the Tennessean. One law increases criminal penalties for bullying and cyberbullying offenses to align more closely with harassment offenses. It also requires law enforcement to make an official incident report and inform parents or guardians of minor victims. Another new law allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty in criminal cases of child rape by an adult. This law may face a court challenge, as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to sentence a defendant to death for a non-homicide crime in 2008.