Criminal Court Judge Brody Kane yesterday dismissed a lawsuit to oust Sheriff Mark Gammon, ruling that the law prevents allegations of illegal acts during a second term from being the basis for ouster in a third term, the Mason County Times reports. Kane issued an order of dismissal with prejudice, meaning that the case cannot be tried again. Thirteen plaintiffs filed the suit requesting that Gammons be removed from office based on 20 allegations. 

The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group that wants to make public an internal Justice Department memo that allows the FBI to informally obtain phone records. The justices on Tuesday let stand an appeals court ruling that said the Justice Department could refuse to release the 2010 memo under an exception to the Freedom of Information Act. WKRN has more from the Associated Press.

The human rights non-profit National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) is ramping up its activity in Tennessee, the Tennessean reports. The group opposes a law passed in 2014 that allows prosecutors to criminalize women who use illegal narcotics when pregnant. The group also opposes Amendment 1, which is on the ballot this November. The amendment would give the General Assembly authority to pass additional restrictions and regulations on abortions. NAPW staff attorney Farah Diaz-Tellowho spoke on the issues at Vanderbilt Law School yesterday to a group of medical students, law students and interested faculty.

Special Judge Donald Ash has voided the August election of Monroe County Sheriff Randy White, Knoxnews reports. Former Sheriff Bill Bivens brought the suit against White after White lost his certification to be on the ballot following an investigation by the state Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission that found he did not have enough recent law enforcement experience. The order, filed this morning in Monroe County Chancery Court, calls for a new election or for a legislative body to choose who should be sheriff.

Red “I Voted” stickers shaped like Tennessee will be handed out beginning with the start of early voting for the Nov. 4 election, Knoxnews reports. The stickers prominently display the words “"Secretary of State Tre Hargett," which some critics say is inappropriate. "Putting Secretary Hargett's name and the #GoVoteTN hashtag on the stickers provides accountability," State Election Coordinator Mark Goins said in an email Friday. "If people have questions or comments about how an election was conducted, they know who to contact."

For the first time in eight years, there will be a new state senator for District 27 after the Nov. 4 election. Current Sen. Lowe Finney decided not to run for a third term in order to run against incumbent Jerry Gist for mayor of Jackson next May. The redrawn district now is comprised of Madison, Crockett, Dyer, Lake and Lauderdale counties. The Jackson Sun interviewed three of the four Senate candidates: Republican Ed Jackson, Democrat Randy Lamb and Constitution party member Tim York. Independent candidate James Baxter declined to be interviewed.

The Governor’s Commission for Judicial Appointments today recommended Patrick A. Flynn, William M. Harris and J. Russell Parkes to Gov. Bill Haslam as the top candidates to fill the Circuit Court vacancy in the 22nd Judicial District, serving Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties. The vacancy was created by the appointment of Judge Robert Holloway Jr. to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on each candidate.

The Kroger mob attack trial is the first high-profile case since Judge Dan Michael took control of Shelby County Juvenile Court back in September, and he made it clear Tuesday he is taking this case very seriously, WREG reports. Michael explained to the 10 facing charges of aggravated riot, their families and the prosecutors that he plans to be meticulous in this case.

The Justice Department says federal defendants who plead guilty will no longer have to give up their right to future claims that they had bad lawyers, the Daily Times reports from the Associated Press. In a directive announced yesterday, the department says federal attorneys across the country must no longer ask defendants entering guilty pleas to waive future claims of ineffective counsel. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement that the new policy is intended to "bring our system of justice closer in line with our most fundamental values and highest ideals."

A federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated a voter ID law in Texas that requires voters to produce one of seven specified forms of photo identification. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law may be enforced to avoid confusion before early voting begins on Oct. 20. The panel opinion by Judge Edith Brown Clement said the law should be reinstated “based primarily on the extremely fast-approaching election date.” She did not indicate, however, whether the law would likely be upheld on the merits on appeal. The ABA Journal has more.