In his new book, attorney and author Jim Emison writes about the June 20, 1940, Brownsville murder of Elbert Williams, the first NAACP member in the nation known to have been killed because of his civil rights work. Emison will talk about the murder and his upcoming book on Community Feedback WKFX 96 FM on Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. He will also appear on Prime Time Drive, News Talk Radio 101.5 FM on Feb. 3 at 4:30 p.m.

Kent Lowery Booher of Harriman was disbarred on Jan. 15. The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Booher on Oct. 7 based upon of his conviction of statutory rape. The Board of Professional Responsibility instituted a formal proceeding to determine the extent of final discipline to be imposed. Booher entered a conditional guilty plea agreeing to a sanction of disbarment. View the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury discovered that Greene County’s expenditures exceeded its appropriations in various funds, including juvenile services. The county anticipated spending around $112,000 but instead spent $170,000. General Sessions Court Judge Kenneth Bailey Jr. said the fund went over in fiscal year 2013- 2014 because of extreme cases and housing more juveniles at the Johnson City Juvenile Detention Center for $189 per day. The Greeneville Sun has more.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder imposed strict new limits Friday on how federal law can be used for "policing for profit,” WJRN reports. The so-called federal "equitable sharing" program — which dates back to the 1980s — allowed local police to take cash, then use federal civil forfeiture laws to try to keep it for their agencies. In his new order, the Holder said that practice must end immediately.

Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court appeared closely split today when they heard oral arguments over whether to uphold a Florida ethics rule that prohibits judicial candidates from personally soliciting campaign money, Gavel Grab reports. During oral arguments in the case brought by former judicial candidate Lanell Williams-Yulee against the Florida Bar, “The court’s conservative justices appeared to favor Williams-Yulee’s free speech argument. The court’s liberals voiced support for the state’s right to ensure the impartiality of the judiciary” through the ethics rule. Justice Anthony Kennedy was seen as the likely swing vote in a final decision.

Tennessee’s General Assembly is predominantly white, Christian males, a new report shows. Nashville Public Radio analyzed lawmakers’ official profiles and campaign websites and found that 83 percent of them are men, 86 percent are white and 96 percent self-identified as Christian. Vanderbilt political science professor Bruce Oppenheimer said the lack of female lawmakers was more disparate and surprising since women make up half the state’s population.

Jurors saw disturbing video in court yesterday showing one of the defendants trying to have sex with the alleged victim, who was motionless on the floor, according to testimony, WRCB reports. Testimony resumed about 90 minutes late in the rape trial of Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey after discussion by the attorneys about redacting some of the images that were the center of Monday's testimony. Additionally, the Tennessee Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether news media are entitled to records related to the case. The Court of Appeals in September ruled that records sought by a statewide media coalition led by The Tennessean and including The Associated Press should not be made public because they are part of a continuing police investigation. The Greeneville Sun has more.

In a shakeup of House committees, Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell replaced two chairmen, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. Harwell replaced Government Operations Committee Chairman Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma, with Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, and Local Government Committee Chairman Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, with Rep. Tim Wirgau, R-Buchanan. The moves, announced over the weekend, also resulted in the elevation of several new committee chairmen and vice chairmen as several top positions were reshuffled or else had been left vacant by members who didn't run for re-election in 2014.

The third phase of a trial to establish environmental penalties BP must pay for spilling millions of barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 opened with images of oil-coated birds and testimony about "widespread socio-cultural harm,” the Greeneville Sun reports from the Associated Press. The government wants the oil giant to pay another $13.7 billion for the birds, fish, business climate and social fabric of coastal communities harmed during the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America is falling short in its commitment to help reduce recidivism rates, former prisoner and Human Rights Defense Center Associate Director Alex Friedmann says. He proposes the company dedicate an additional 5 percent of its net income to related programs and services, the Tennessean reports. As a shareholder of the for-profit prison owner and operating company, Friedmann has written a resolution requesting a spending increase, a proposal that CCA opposes. On Jan. 9, CCA filed a formal objection with the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking to keep the resolution out of the proxy materials it sends to shareholders. Read more from the Tennessean.