A post-election poll of Tennessee voters who participated in the Aug. 7 election found a strong majority opposed to partisan politics playing a role in the courts or judicial elections, Justice at Stake (JAS) reports. Eighty-five percent of voters polled said it is “very” or “somewhat” important to keep politics out of the courts, with a full 70 percent calling it “very important.” The poll was conducted by Republican polling firm American Viewpoint, which surveyed 500 Tennessee voters the evening of the election in which all three justices were retained in spite of well-funded efforts to oust them by both Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and out-of-state groups such as the Republican State Leadership Committee and Americans for Prosperity. More than $1.4 million was spent on television advertising alone. “Tennessee voters decisively rejected efforts to politicize their courts,” said Bert Brandenburg, JAS executive director. “They want judges to answer to the law, not political pressure.”

The Sumner County Commission on Monday honored retiring Chancellor Tom Gray for his many years of public service, the Tennessean reports. Gray presided over the 18th Judicial District Chancery Court since 1986. Before that he served as a Sumner County Family Court judge beginning in 1982. He announced in October that he would not seek re-election. “The term is for eight years and I cannot keep the pace that I set in 1982,” Gray said last year in a statement. “Another factor is that I would like to be available to do things with my family, travel a bit and do genealogy research.”

Metro Nashville and Davidson County District Attorney General Torry Johnson will join Belmont University’s College of Law faculty as a visiting professor in January. Johnson, who has held the Nashville post for 27 years, will teach criminal justice courses on a full-time basis. “Bringing Torry Johnson on board as a faculty member is truly a significant coup for our College of Law," Belmont President Bob Fisher said. "His devotion to his work and to public service is exceptional, and the expertise he can transmit to our students will raise the bar again on the educational opportunities Belmont Law provides.”

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has announced its fall People’s Law School schedule. The free program, which is taught by Legal Aid Society attorneys and volunteer attorneys, provides an overview of common civil legal issues people may face, such as renters' rights and responsibilities and Social Security options. For the first time, People’s Law School is offering a class on child support. Learn more at www.las.org.

Officials elected by Putnam County citizens earlier this month will be sworn into office within the next couple of weeks, the Herald-Citizen reports. Swearing-in ceremonies for county officials such as county executive, sheriff, property assessor, county clerk and others will take place Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. in the county commission chambers on the third floor of the Putnam County Courthouse, County Clerk Wayne Nabors says. Additional officials will be sworn in during other events throughout the coming weeks.

Longtime Circuit Court Judge Robert E. Burch will have many memories to take with him when he retires this month after more 30 years on the bench, the Tennessean reports. Some of his most satisfying ones come from the 23rd Judicial District Drug Court program, which was established 14 years ago. The Drug Court program is an alternative to incarceration, and integrates chemical-dependency treatment and community resources with the criminal justice system. After retirement, Burch — who was named the Tennessee Trial Judge of the Year in 2002 — said he hopes to continue working with the Drug Court program.

An audit of the procedures in the Knox County criminal justice system released last week shows a need for improved quality control measures, training and computer systems, the Knoxville News Sentinel said in an editorial today. The findings affirm reporting on errors in the Criminal Court Clerk's Office that resulted in wrongful arrests and other problems. The Knox County Commission ordered the audit as a result of the news reports. The office handles the enormous amount of paperwork generated in Criminal Court and the Criminal Division of General Sessions Court. Now it is up to incoming Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond to implement recommended changes to make the office more efficient and effective, the paper says.

The government has reached a $16.65 billion settlement with Bank of America over its role in the sale of mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis, the Justice Department announced today. The deal calls for the bank, the second-largest in the U.S., to pay a $5 billion cash penalty, another $4.6 billion in remediation payments and provide about $7 billion in relief to struggling homeowners. At a news conference, Attorney General Eric Holder said the bank and its Countrywide and Merrill Lynch subsidiaries had "engaged in pervasive schemes to defraud financial institutions and other investors" by misrepresenting the soundness of mortgage-backed securities. WATE has more from the Associated Press.

Today was the deadline for communities to qualify to have the wine-in-grocery stores question put on the November ballot, the Tennessean reports. Supporters in several counties across Tennessee secured enough signatures needed to add the referendum to the ballot, 10 percent of the number who cast a ballot in the 2010 gubernatorial election, said Deputy Williamson County Election Administrator Chad Gray. Grocery stores will be able to sell wine in cities and counties that allow bars or liquor stores starting in 2016 if local voters support the change.

The 15th Annual Shelby Bottoms Boogie 5K run/walk and 15K run will take place on Sept. 20 at Shelby Park,1601 Davidson St., in Nashville. The 5K starts at 7:30 a.m., 15K starts at 7:40 a.m. The event benefits CASA Nashville (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children). Both races are also both part of the Nashville Striders 2014-2015 Grand Prix Series. Registration is $30 through Sept. 17 and $35 on race day.