An official autopsy has found that Shelby County Jail inmate Ramon McGhee died of severe anemia and dehydration, with contributing factors from insect infestation and schizophrenia, the Daily Memphian reports. McGhee died Jan. 12 in the hospital two days after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center. McGhee’s family hired national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who commissioned an independent autopsy. That study found that McGhee died from severe neglect with malnutrition, dehydration, insect infestation and complications. Unlike the official autopsy report, it also ruled the death as a homicide. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation previously indicated it is looking into the death.

Memphis nonprofit Just City, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, has sued officials in Shelby County's criminal justice system over a state law that prevents judges from considering a defendant’s financial condition when setting bail. The groups allege that the new law, enacted in May, unconstitutionally subjects arrestees to "discriminatory wealth-based detention" in violation of due process and equal protection guarantees. The filing argues that not considering someone’s ability to pay bail will result in widespread pretrial detention of people who do not need to be detained for the safety of the community. Prior to enactment of the law, Shelby County officials required judges to use an "ability-to-pay calculator" to determine affordable bail. The suit, filed in federal district court, seeks an injunction to block the law, effectively reinstating the previous practice, the Commercial Appeal reports. Read more and access the filing from the ACLU.

Allegations of discrimination within the federal judiciary involving employees' race, gender or other characteristics rank as the top issue in complaints of wrongful workplace conduct from 2020 to 2022, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The study also found that race was the number one focus of discrimination and harassment complaints, followed by gender, disability and age. GAO notes that unlike other federal workers, judicial employees are not covered by federal anti-discrimination laws. Instead, claims of workplace misconduct are handled by the courts' internal employment dispute resolution systems. Retuers reports on the study.

The Anderson County Bar Association is hosting a celebration on Aug. 30 to thank Chancellor Jamie Brooks for serving as interim chancellor since Nichole Cantrell stepped down. The event will take place from 10-11 a.m. EDT at the Anderson County Chancery Court. Coffee and light snacks will be provided. View the invitation.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that a person who bought property near downtown Nashville, but failed to record the deed, could not gain full ownership under a legal doctrine known as “adverse possession.” Under that process, someone who may not own property but possesses it for a certain number of years may gain full ownership of it. After reviewing its precedents regarding the adversity requirement, the court held that adversity requires either a conflict of title or controversy regarding the right of possession. The decision reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated the chancery court’s judgment. Chief Justice Holly Kirby dissented from the majority opinion, arguing that under longstanding property law, the court should have given the purchaser full ownership of the property. Read more in a release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Working away from the office (or home) means accessing a network you don’t control. VPN services create an encrypted, secure link between your device and the provider’s servers. No one physically near you (or even on the same network) can spy on your communications. Compare functionality and features with this chart. Find this and more in the Building a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s 2024 Health Law Primer and Health Law Forum this fall. The primer will take place Oct. 16 in downtown Nashville. Designed for those new to health practice, it will provide a general health law overview and practical tips to identify and avoid the pitfalls of real-life situations in the heavily regulated health care industry. Then on Oct. 17 and 18, the forum will take place in Franklin’s Cool Springs area. The two-day event will dig deeper into topics such as private equity, antitrust laws, digital health, cyber security, legislative and state case updates and ethics. David Higginson, executive vice president of Phoenix Children's Hospital, will give this year’s keynote address. The premier program for Tennessee health care lawyers, the forum provides all necessary CLE requirements for the year — 12 general hours and three dual hours — while providing opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the state.

President Joe Biden yesterday proposed significant changes to the U.S. Supreme Court, including a binding code of conduct and term limits for the nine justices, Reuters reports. The president called on Congress to pass binding and enforceable rules that would require justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. He also urged lawmakers to adopt an 18-year term limit for justices and proposed a constitutional amendment to eliminate the broad presidential immunity recognized in a July 1 Supreme Court ruling involving former President Donald Trump. The president laid out his arguments for these changes in an opinion piece in the Washington Post and at a speech at the presidential library of former President Lyndon B. Johnson. In April 2021, Biden convened a commission to study changes to the court. The commission released its final report in December 2021.

Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin’s Family Law Section is moving to join the rest of the firm at The Pinnacle at Symphony Place, 150 3rd Ave. S. in downtown Nashville. When the firm merged with MTR Family Law in 2022, the decision was made to keep the new Family Law Section at its current Midtown office until the firm’s lease ended at The Pinnacle at Symphony Place. GSRM Law recently signed a lease extension at the building through January 2027 and now is brining all of its attorneys, employees and resources together in one location. Read more in a release from the firm.

The Third Circuit Court and Judge Phillip Robinson will host a low-cost, informative family law CLE on Monday, Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon CDT. Co-sponsored by the TBA Family Law Section, the event will focus on financial and tax planning in divorce, a Q&A session with Judge Robinson and updates from the 3rd Circuit Court. The program will take place in the Davidson County Courthouse Jury Room, so make plans to join colleagues now!