Cleotha Abston-Henderson, the man charged with abducting and killing Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, will go to trial on April 8, 2024, in a separate rape case, the Commercial Appeal reports. Abston-Henderson is accused of raping Alicia Franklin about a year before Fletcher was killed. Franklin had filed a civil suit against the city of Memphis and Memphis Police Department for failing to adequately investigate the rape but the suit was dismissed earlier this year. Abston-Henderson’s new defense attorney, Juni Ganguli, has requested that jurors from Nashville be brought to Memphis for the trial, citing extensive local media coverage and public comments on social media. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office opposes that move.

Attorney and law student volunteers are needed for a Rights Restoration Project being planned by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission (ATJ). The commission will provide a virtual training on Oct. 20 from 1-2:30 p.m. CDT focused on the rights restoration process, available forms and resources, and recent changes in the law. The training is free but registration is required. After completing the training, lawyers will be matched with a law student and a client. Cases will be worked throughout the month of November. Those who would like more information before signing up for the training may watch a recording of an informational meeting about the project (use passcode 8UW#%GnU) and follow along with this slide deck.

TBA’s 23rd Annual Health Law Primer and 35th Annual Health Law Forum make their return to Nashville in just a few weeks. The primer, which will take place on Nov. 1 from noon to 4:30 p.m. CDT at the Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims, will focus on introductory topics, while the forum, set for Nov. 2-3 at the Music City Center, will dig into topics such as AI, the False Claims Act, No Surprises Act, telehealth, antitrust laws, fraud and abuse, Tennessee legislative update, state case law review and ethics. Don't miss the state's premier educational event for health law practitioners!

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee announced today that two former tactical officers for the state’s Department of Corrections Strike Force pleaded guilty for their roles in the assault of an inmate, and the cover up that followed, at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville. Javian Griffin of Nashville pleaded guilty to using unlawful force on an inmate and providing false information in his official report for the incident. His co-defendant, Sebron Hollands of Clarksville, pleaded guilty to providing false information in his official report regarding the same incident. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Griffin will serve a 48-month prison sentence. Hollands faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 19, 2024.

The NAACP Sumner County Branch and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold an expungement clinic on Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at the Gallaton Shalom Zone, 600 Small St., Gallatin 37066. Registration is required.

Elizabethton lawyer William J. “Bill” Byrd died unexpectedly Oct. 8. He was 65 years old. Byrd practiced law with Norris, Bush and Byrd and was a member of the Carter County Bar Association and Tennessee Bar Association. Byrd practiced law in Elizabethton for over 35 years. He graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1981 and received his law degree in 1984 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. A service to remember Byrd's life was held yesterday at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made to the Valley Forge Freewill Baptist Church, Building Fund, 1502 Riverview Dr., Elizabethton, TN 37643.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that Midwestern State University in Texas must face a Malaysian political science professor's race discrimination lawsuit, reports Reuters. The panel ruled that a lower court judge was wrong to toss out Sugumaran Narayanan's suit against the university because it did not involve an "ultimate employment decision" such as hiring, firing and setting pay – a test it previously used to determine whether cases should be allowed to continue. Narayanan claimed in 2018, that the university refused to let him teach summer courses based on his race and in retaliation for a previous discrimination complaint he filed against the school. Read the decision.

Campbell County Sheriff Wayne Barton says an investigation is underway after six inmates in the Campbell County Jail are believed to have overdosed, reports WATE Knoxville. Barton said that six inmates were taken to LaFollette Medical Center yesterday after suspected overdoses. The individuals were treated and are now back at the jail. The nature of the substance and its source are unknown at this time.

Lt. Governor Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville released a proclamation yesterday condemning the invasion of Israel by the terrorist group known as Hamas, reports the Chattanoogan. “The invasion of Israel by Hamas was illegal, immoral and unconscionable,” said McNally, who referred to Israel as “our greatest ally and the only true democracy in the Middle East … It was an act of war.” The speakers issued the proclamation on behalf of the members of the House and the Senate. In related news, Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that flags would fly at half-staff for the rest of the week to honor those who have died in the conflict. WBIR has that report.

Registration is open for this year's Disability Law Forum, which will be in person for the first time since 2019! Make plans to join your colleagues on Oct. 20 at Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club in Hendersonville. Attendees can earn up to three general and one dual CLE credits. Sessions will cover a variety of topics applicable to disability law practitioners, including ways to prepare a successful GRID case, a session featuring best practices from a vocational expert, a DDS/OHO update and an ethics course designed to help you "un-stick" stuck cases. A happy hour will follow the day's programming.