Lawyers representing the board of the Lone Mountain Shores Owners Association and a handful of homeowners whom the board sued over short-term rentals made their cases before a judge in Claiborne County Chancery Court on Jan. 25, reports KnoxNews. The case centers on whether a house rented on Airbnb or Vrbo should be considered a single-family home or a hotel. Short-term rentals are defined by the state as rentals shorter than 30 days. The Lone Mountain Shores homeowners' association board allows long-term rentals, which the board says falls under single-family residential use. Both sides have filed for summary judgement. Chancellor Elizabeth Asbury could rule by Feb. 25 according to the paper.

The city of Memphis has released hours of additional video footage and audio of police radio communications from the night Tyre Nichols was beaten by five now-former Memphis Police Department officers, reports the Commercial Appeal. Nichols would die in the hospital three days later. The former officers have been charged with second degree murder among other offenses. Additional documents related to Nichols' killing, the internal Memphis Police Department investigation into the incident, and the officers charged in state and federal court are expected to be released at a later date.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett has issued a warning to all Tennesseans about a scam involving Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) documents. According to Chattanoogan.com, as part of the scam, citizens receive an official-looking mailer from TN UCC Statement Service, incorrectly implying businesses or individuals must obtain a copy of a UCC-1 financing statement filed against them. Hargett says that the mailing is intended to “trick borrowers into paying excessive costs to obtain a document they will likely never need.” The UCC is a comprehensive set of laws governing sales or other commercial transactions. A UCC-1 financing statement is a legal form that creditors use to give notice that they have a lien on an asset of a debtor. Hargett is encouraging anyone who receives this mailing to report it to the Division of Business and Charitable Organizations and the Tennessee Attorney General’s office.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson were in Memphis on Friday to announce a new legislative effort to expand the criminal charges for which bail would not be an option. The Commercial Appeal reports that currently, only those charged with capital murder can be denied bail in the state. The bill, which is not yet drafted, would amend the state constitution to add other violent crimes. Sexton, who says the measure is intended to "allow the judicial branch to have more discretion," was joined at a press conference by Memphis Mayor Paul Young, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, a number of state legislators representing Memphis and Shelby County, and local law enforcement officials. Mulroy says he supports the idea so long as the language specifically states that judges retain discretion in setting bail. State Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, said his constituents support the legislation because they want a safer community. State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, appeared to support the amendment, but called for gun reform. The bail reform nonprofit Just City said it opposes the idea, arguing it will not tackle the crime problem in Memphis.

A Wilson County woman has reached a settlement with Rutherford County and members of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office after she sued for being forced to remove her hijab for a booking photo at the county detention center. The Tennessean reports that the county has agreed to update its booking and jail policies to accommodate religious attire, delete Johnston’s booking photos and all video footage in which she was depicted without wearing her hijab, and pay her $100,000. The updated booking policy states that “arrestees and citation recipients are not required to remove religious head coverings for booking photos as long as the view of the face and profile are not obstructed by religious attire.”

Anderson County Chancellor James “Jamie” Brooks Jr. has announced he will run in the special March 5 Republican primary. Brooks was appointed to the Seventh Judicial District seat by Gov. Bill Lee on April 18, 2023, following the retirement of Chancellor Nichole Cantrell. The primary will determine the candidates who will run to fill the remainder of Cantrell’s term. Prior to joining the court, Brooks practiced law 37 years. He says he is committed to listening courteously, answering wisely, considering soberly and deciding cases impartially. Read more about his campaign at chancellorjamiebrooks.com.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue has announced that it is extending the franchise and excise tax filing and payment deadlines to June 17 for businesses impacted by the December 2023 storms. This extension will automatically apply to any businesses in the designated disaster area. The department also says it will approve extensions for other types of taxes on a case-by-case basis for these taxpayers. Learn more about this benefit. In addition, Tennessee residents impacted by these storms are potentially eligible for sales tax refunds on items such as home appliances, home furniture and home building supplies. Read more about applying for those benefits.

Ogletree Deakins has named Nashville attorney Liz Washko as the firm’s new managing shareholder. Washko, who led the Nashville office from 2010-2018, is the first woman to serve in the role. She replaces Matt Keen, who served in the position for eight years. For more than three decades, Washko has represented management in a wide variety of employment matters. She co-founded the firm’s Pay Equity Practice Group in 2016 and served as co-chair until her appointment as managing shareholder. Read more in a release from the firm.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Reporters Workshop. Sponsored by TBA’s Communications Law Section, the program will be held in person April 19-20 in Nashville. Organizers will select 15 print, online, television and/or radio journalists who want to develop a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting, and other timely topics. Journalists interested in attending should apply before 5 p.m. CST on March 4. Read more about the program or see a draft schedule. Tennessee lawyers are encouraged to share this opportunity with members of the media with whom they have relationships.

Davidson County lawyer Alex Fletcher Thompson was temporarily suspended from the practice of law on Jan. 26. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after finding that Thompson failed to comply with its order entered on Nov. 28, 2023. The court also granted a motion to file documents in the case under seal.