Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Bill Koch warned that returning to contested, partisan elections of the state’s appellate judges would undermine confidence in the courts by making people “think justice can be bought." In comments delivered at the Rotary Club of Nashville on Monday, Koch said Tennessee voters should support a constitutional amendment that would provide certainty over the judicial selection process. “Without any question, it will result in a tighter fit between what the constitution says and what we do,” said Koch, now dean at the Nashville School of Law. “And that tighter fit is going to end the bickering over how judges are selected.” The Tennessean has more.

Cheatham County will be home to the newest site of the Tennessee Youth Court program. Youth court programs support early intervention in delinquent or unruly behavior cases and provide first-time offenders an opportunity to face a jury of their peers. In collaboration with Cheatham County Juvenile Court Judge Phillip A. Maxey, the program will be implemented by attorneys Margaret Brady Sherbert and M. David Perez. Currently, 16 counties participate in a total of 20 programs across the state. For more information, visit the TBA website  or contact Youth Court Coordinator Denise Bentley.

Steve Crump, the district attorney in Tennessee's 10th Judicial District, was asked to handle the case of James Leon Works Jr. after prosecutors in Chattanooga recused themselves. Crump usually prosecutes cases in Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties. Works' case required a district attorney from outside Chattanooga because prosecutors have a longstanding working relationship with police officer Karl Fields, the lead investigator on the Works case. Fields is accused of pursuing a sexual relationship with the victim. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into whether Fields broke any laws while investigating Works' case. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has more.

Prospective Republican presidential candidates are promoting religious liberty at home and abroad at a gathering of evangelical conservatives. The annual Values Voter Summit opened Friday in Washington with speeches from several potential presidential candidates, including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. The program features ambitious Republicans with positions on social issues across the spectrum — from the libertarian-leaning Paul, who favors less emphasis on abortion and gay marriage, to Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist pastor whose conservative social values define his brand. Knoxnews has more from the Associated Press.

Mayor Karl Dean on Thursday helped cut the ribbon for the Jean Crowe Advocacy Center in Nashville, WKRN reports. The facility, located in the Ben West Building at the Nashville courts complex, is a family justice center that will serve as a place where domestic violence victims can get assistance as they go through the Davidson County court systems. The advocacy center came about after the recommendations were made in a 2013 Domestic Violence Safety and Accountability Assessment, which was released a year ago. The 3,300-square-foot area is a safe place for victims to go on their court dates while waiting for their cases to be heard to avoid contact with alleged offenders while waiting for the court proceeding.

Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and Rep. Scott DesJarlais offered criticism instead of praise Thursday after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced he would resign, the Daily News Journal reports. "Attorney General Holder's departure from the Justice Department cannot come soon enough," DesJarlais stated in a press release. DesJarlais previously co-introduced articles of impeachment for Holder and voted to hold the attorney general in contempt of Congress. Alexander was also critical. "I hope the president will nominate an attorney general this time who will faithfully apply the laws Congress has passed and not seek to impose policies the president wishes Congress had passed,” Alexander said.

The Governor’s Commission for Judicial Appointments will consider eight applicants when it meets Oct. 15 to select nominees for the vacancy in the 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court covering Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties, The applicants are: Thomas Joseph Dancison Jr., J. Thomas DuBois, Patrick A. Flynn, William M. Harris, J. Russell Parkes, Leland Bruce Peden, Stanley Kurt Pierchoski and Larry Michael Roe Jr. The vacancy has been created by the appointment of Judge Robert Holloway to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, effective Sept. 1. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on each applicant.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently granted review to three cases. Criminal cases include election of offenses and DUI arrests, while a civil case will consider the summary judgment standard for cases still governed by Hannan. Read more about the issues and predictions as to how the case may be decided in the Raybin-Perky Hotlist.

CASA Nashville today celebrated its 30th anniversary of serving abused and neglected children in Davidson County. Mayor Karl Dean, Rep. Jim Cooper and Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway were on hand to join CASA staff, board members, donors and volunteers in celebrating the milestone. “Please know how much we appreciate the work that you do, “ Dean said. “It is absolutely vital to the juvenile court, it’s vital to the kids here in our city, and it is just a critical service.” At the close of the ceremony, Judge Calloway read a proclamation issued by Gov.Bill Haslam declaring Sept. 26 as CASA Inc. Day in Tennessee.

Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston yesterday asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to investigate the arrest of a Red Bank man beaten by police in April. Pinkston specifically asked the TBI to review the video that captured the events leading up to the arrest, the arrest itself and the circumstances surrounding the lack of availability of that video during early court proceedings. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has more.