In recent weeks a new candidate has announced a bid for Nashville mayor. The Nashville Scene reports that retired business executive Jim Gingrich has thrown hit hat in the ring. The Kansas City-area native helped move Wall Street firm AllianceBernstein to Nashville in 2018. He retired in 2020. In related news, the Nashville Post today reports that two individuals thought to be considering runs have announced they are out. They are state Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville, and former mayor Megan Barry.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is warning consumers to be wary of romance-related scams after the Federal Trade Commission released new data that scams cost consumers $1.3 billion in 2022. Most commonly, scammers tell consumers they need money because a friend or relative is sick, hurt or in jail. The second most reported lie was that the scammer had investment advice to share. Now data shows a growing tactic of soliciting explicit photos and then threatening to share them once received unless payment is made. This new “sextortion” appears to target younger consumers, with most complaints coming from those ages 18-29. Get details on how to spot and report a scam.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association have launched the Fifth Annual Civics Essay Contest for middle and high school students. This year’s contest focuses on the question of whether race should be a factor in college admissions. The contest is open to public, private and home school students in sixth to 12th grades in 17 counties. Entries must be submitted by March 22 to Civics Essay Contest, attention Kelly L. Walsh, U.S. Courthouse, 900 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37402 or by email to chattcivicsessay@gmail.com. Get more details from Chattanoogan.com or the court's website. For questions, contact Kelly Walsh, 423-386-3523.

Two of the Memphis police officers who attacked Tyre Nichols last month had previous allegations of misconduct levied against them. Preston Hemphill received two written reprimands while serving as police service technician. The reprimands came after incidents involving rough or careless handling of equipment and damage to a motor vehicle. The Daily Memphian reported the news after accessing personnel files from the city’s human resources department. In addition, before he joined the police force, Demetrius Haley was accused of taking part in the savage beating of a Shelby County inmate. The Associated Press reports it is not clear if Haley was disciplined or cleared of the allegation.

The state Senate on Monday overwhelmingly passed a bill banning gender transition health care for minors in Tennessee, the Tennessean reports. SB1 bans minors in Tennessee from accessing gender dysphoria and transition treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies as well as surgeries. Those who received such treatments as minors also would be able to sue parents, guardians and physicians for authorizing that care. The legislation includes a 30-year statute of limitations. Ahead of the vote yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union threatened legal action if the bill becomes law.

The Nashville Scene takes a look at the new book from former Tennessee Bar Journal Editor Suzanne Craig Robertson. Her book, “He Called Me Sister,” documents the relationship between death row inmate Cecil Johnson and her family as Johnson’s case winds its way through the legal system ultimately culminating with his execution. The book will be out next Tuesday. Watch for a review by former TBA President and columnist Bill Haltom in the March/April issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal.

Nashville Public Radio’s podcast “This is Nashville” is out with a new episode remembering the sit-ins at Nashville lunch counters. As the episode reports, it was 12:40 p.m. on Feb. 13, 1960, when Black college students sat down at lunch counters in downtown Nashville and asked to be served. They sat in silent protest against segregation at the city’s lunch counters, but were met with racial slurs and abuse. John Lewis, who would go on to become an icon of the civil rights movement and later a U.S. representative, was arrested for the first time at Woolworth and would spend weeks in jail along with dozens of fellow activists. By May, six of the downtown lunch counters had begun serving Black customers. Tune in and hear veterans of the sit-ins talk about their experience.

The partners of Nashville law firm Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings are splitting and forming two new firms, the Nashville Post reports. Ben Gastel, Tricia Herzfeld, Joe Leniski Jr., David Suetholz and Michael Wall will leave the firm to form Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski and Wall (HSGLaW). All will work in Nashville except for Suetholz, who will be based in Louisville. The new firm will focus on civil rights, union-side labor law and complex civil litigation. It also will assume work on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) cases previously handled by Branstetter, Stranch. The original firm will rebrand as Stranch, Jennings & Garvey with managing partner Gerard Stranch IV (grandson of firm founder, the late Cecil Branstetter) and Jim Stranch III, Jan Jennings, former state Rep. Mike Stewart, Jack Garvey and Nate Ring. Garvey will be based in St. Louis while Ring will work from Las Vegas. The firm will focus on class actions, mass torts, ERISA trust funds, labor unions, bank fees, data breaches and personal injury cases. It also will continue to handle governmental opioid work

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessee legislature made it more difficult to sue hospitals and health care providers in cases related to COVID-19. Now, Republicans are proposing to make those temporary rules permanent, WPLN reports. The legislation also would make permanent previously enacted restrictions on mask and vaccine mandates. The Senate version of the measure, SB0011, passed that body yesterday.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday transferred the law license of Maury County lawyer James Thomas DuBois Jr. to disability inactive status. DuBois may not practice law while on inactive status and must comply with the requirements of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 28. He may petition for a return to active status by showing the disability has been removed.