Incoming Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond walked into an empty office this week, with a nearly-empty checking account to match, Knoxnews reports. Outgoing clerk Joy McCroskey, as one of her last acts in office, left Hammond with $600,000 in surplus fees — less than the recommended amount to operate payroll, according to Hammond. Surplus fees are commonly turned over by offices including the court clerk, register of deeds and others that collect money while handling the county’s business. McCroskey’s office has been criticized for a series of errors leading to wrongful arrests of some Knox County residents. She declined to seek reelection this year.

In the wake of a high profile murder-suicide in Shelby County this week, domestic abuse victims’ advocates gathered Wednesday to demand changes to the system. The crime was perpetrated by a husband with a lengthy history of domestic violence against a wife who had initiated three separate protection orders against him; all were dismissed, the Commercial Appeal reports. “The way the system is set up now, the burden is on the victim,” said Olliette Murry-Drobot, director of the Family Safety Center. Most victims of domestic violence earn less than $25,000 per year, Murry-Drobot said, and they have to deal with divorce filings, child custody issues, related criminal cases and order of protections all by themselves and in different venues because Shelby County has no centralized family court.

On Sept. 4, the law license of Blount County lawyer Lyle Harold Moe was transferred to disability inactive status. Moe may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume practicing. View the BPR notice.

Senior Judge Don Ash has declined the Monroe County Democratic Party’s request for an injunction to delay Randy White from taking office as Monroe County sheriff until all court hearings are complete, the Advocate and Democrat reports. The Democratic Party and outgoing Sheriff Bill Bivens’ lawyer allege that since White had not met the requirements to run for or serve as sheriff, he should not be allowed to take office until a final ruling is issued. Bivens has argued that since White was not eligible, all of the votes he received in last month’s election should be declared invalid and tossed out. Bivens goes on to say that under that scenario, he should be declared the winner or the county commission should appoint an eligible sheriff.

Attorneys have brought a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga (EPB) violated Tennessee’s False Claims Act by knowingly submitting inflated bills for its streetlights, thereby overbilling Chattanooga taxpayers for an amount that remains in dispute. Plaintiff Don Lepard, owner of Global Green Lighting and a former contactor for the city, filed the sealed lawsuit against EPB on behalf of the city and state. The suit claims that when Lepard informed EPB about its defective billing and record keeping systems in 2011, the utility began changing its books rather than reimbursing the city. Lepard is seeking more than $10 million in damages for what he says is an average 27 percent overbilling rate. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story.

The music industry has entered into waiting mode as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) weighs hundreds of pages of public comments regarding its review of the consent decrees that govern how ASCAP and BMI administer music licenses and distributes royalties, the Tennessean reports. Because of the emergence of new technologies and music delivery systems, the licensing of music has become more complicated and disputes have arisen over fair rates. The issue has spilled into the federal courts, where the performance rights organizations dispute the rate that Internet radio company Pandora pays to songwriters and publishers.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will host the fourth annual Constitution Day public lecture Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the UTC Center Auditorium. In the lecture, “American Constitutional Politics in Perspective: Why Parchment Barriers are Insufficient,” Dr. Michael Federici will discuss why the underlying “Unwritten Constitution”—the attitudes about ethics and religion, human nature, the individual and the role of government in society— has and always will shape American constitutional theory, practice and our public and private lives. The Chattanoogan has more.

The Chattanooga Bar Association hosted a reception Tuesday at the Hunter Museum to celebrate the retirements of several local officials and to honor newly elected officials. The Hamilton County Herald has one photo of the group. Additional photos are available in the print edition.

Following a ruling yesterday by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana, 32 states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to settle the issue of gay marriage once and for all, the Associated Press reports. Led by Massachusetts, 15 of the 19 states that allow gay marriage filed a brief asking the justices to take up cases from Virginia, Utah and Oklahoma and overturn their marriage bans. A second group of 17 states that have banned the practice asked the court to hear cases from Utah and Oklahoma to clear up a "morass" of lawsuits. Led by Colorado, this group did not urge the court to rule one way or another. WATE News 6 has the AP story.

Wilson County CASA will welcome Chicago’s improv comedy powerhouse The Second City’s 55th Anniversary Tour on Oct. 10 at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon. This event benefitting Wilson County CASA is the first of its kind in Wilson County and marks the troupe’s only Tennessee appearance in 2014. Tickets are $50, or upgrade to VIP for $25 more, and can be purchased at www.wilsoncountycasa.org or by calling 615-443-2002.