Brennan Wingerter is the assistant public defender and appellate director at the Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference and she’s also the guest co-host of the September episode of the TBA BarBuzz podcast! Tune in for the latest in legal news and bar association events, plus #humblebrags on some well-deserving attorneys. BarBuzz is part of the Tennessee Bar Association Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA's website or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

The U.S. Department of Justice has come to an agreement with Memphis-based Evolve Bank & Trust to resolve allegations of lending discrimination on the basis of race, sex and national origin in the pricing of its residential mortgage loans from at least 2014 through 2019. The DOJ’s complaint against Evolve accuses the bank of engaging in practices which resulted in Black, Hispanic, and female borrowers paying more in the “discretionary pricing” components of home loans than white or male borrowers for reasons unrelated to their creditworthiness. The settlement, if approved by District Court, will require Evolve to establish a settlement fund of $1.3 million to compensate affected borrowers as well as pay a $50,000 civil penalty. The bank will also maintain policies that reduce loan officer discretion, employ a fair lending officer who will work in close consultation with the bank’s leadership and provide fair lending training to its personnel. Read more from the DOJ.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and the Memphis Police Department today announced plans for a Cold Case Unit that will assist law enforcement with investigating and prosecuting unsolved homicides and violent sexual assaults, the Daily Memphian reports. The unit could begin reviewing cold cases by the end of next week and hopes to review up to 200 cases each year. Once the unit is formed, MPD will share cold case files with the new unit. Assistant district attorneys general will check criteria off a checklist to determine if the case is solvable, and investigators with the DA’s Office will follow up on the case. In cases where warrants could not be served on defendants, investigators with the DA’s office will help locate defendants so they can be prosecuted.

The Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) last week celebrated a milestone anniversary during its “Cheers to 125 Years” event. Bar members met at the Gilman Event Hall on Thursday for a cocktail reception and dinner, which included special toasts from CBA Board President Lee Ann Adams, Judge Clarence Shattuck and CBA Executive Director Lynda Minks Hood. “Here’s to the Chattanooga Bar Association,” Adams toasted. “May the fire which necessitated its creation continue to ignite our passion for the law and our community and light our way forward!” The CBA has pictures from the event.    

The Tennessee Supreme Court today declined to hear an appeal from the Davidson County Election Commission over Metro Nashville’s handling of an anti-tax referendum, the Tennessean reports. The denial ends a legal battle that began in 2020 when petition group 4 Good Government attempted to trigger a referendum vote to strike down the city’s 34% property tax increase and curb Metro’s power to increase property taxes. After that effort was struck down by a trial court, the group launched another referendum effort in 2021. It was also struck down. The commission took the case to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, which ruled the commission had acted illegally in its decision to hold the 2021 referendum. The commission voted to take the case to the Supreme Court in April. As of that time, the legal battle for both referendums had cost county taxpayers upwards of $955,000.

The General Sessions Judges Conference has selected late Coffee County General Sessions Judge Timothy R. Brock as this year’s recipient of the Leon Ruben Award for Excellence. The award is given annually to a judge or judges for their outstanding service to the community, the conference and the judiciary as a whole. Brock presided over Coffee County Drug Recovery Courts, Mental Health Court, Family Treatment Court, Juvenile Recovery Court and the Safe Baby Court. He passed away unexpectedly in November 2019. Henry County General Sessions Court Judge Vicki S. Snyder, who said Brock was like a brother to her, presented the award to his family. The award is named for the late Judge Leon Ruben, who served as judge for 37 years in Nashville. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti recently spoke with Nashville’s WPLN about his new position, politics and a few hot button issues his office will handle. Skrmetti, who was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to succeed former Attorney General Herbert Slatery, tells the news outlet his “only job is to be a good lawyer,” not a politician. Skrmetti discussed Tennessee’s abortion law, saying he believes, based on reactions from doctors and the legal community, that “there’s room for some clarification” to the law. He also details a letter he signed urging President Joe Biden to classify fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction.” Skrmetti explains the designation is warranted because the drug could be used in a terrorist attack, but says he doesn’t intend to ramp up enforcement of everyday drug cases. WPLN has the full story.  

The U.S. Supreme Court has opted to keep live audio broadcasts of oral arguments for its upcoming term, the Associated Press reports. The nation’s highest court began providing live audio after COVID-19 forced the courtroom to close to the public in March 2020. As the justices begin their new term on Monday, the public will once again be allowed to enter the courtroom during oral arguments, but a link to access the live audio feed will still be available. The court will provide that link on the homepage of its website.

The TBA's Environmental Law Forum returns this year as a hybrid program to be held in-person and virtually on Dec. 2. This program offers timely information on legal issues, including a brownfields update, a session that covers the scope of the recent West Virginia v. EPA decision, and more. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from seasoned practitioners in the field! Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. CST at Bass, Berry & Sims, 150 3rd Ave. S., 28th floor, Nashville. Those who wish to attend virtually may note that preference at check out. Learn more and register here.

A resolution to enforce curfew laws for minors was today passed by the Memphis City Council public safety committee and will now head to the full council, the Daily Memphian reports. The measure, part of a broad strategy to fight a growing crime problem, would call on the Memphis Police Department to strongly enforce the curfews set by the Child Curfew Act of 1995. The act requires those 17 or 18 years old to not be out in public past 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday or midnight Friday through Sunday. Those 16 or younger are not to be out in public past 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Councilman JB Smiley expressed concerns that the resolution could increase the number of minorities sent to juvenile court, but MPD assured him that summons to the county’s Youth Resource Center can keep children accused of committing certain crimes from entering the juvenile justice system. The resolution will be considered at the Oct. 11 meeting.