The Supreme Court yesterday refused to hear an appeal asking courts whether the rezoning of metro Nashville schools in 2009 was a pretext for segregation. Frances and Jeffrey Spurlock sued after their daughter was taken out of a predominantly white school with a good academic record and offered the choice of two failing schools. Attorneys for the school system argued the rezoning was not racially motivated but sought to increase parental involvement by putting kids in neighborhood schools. The Memphis Daily News has the story. 

General Sessions Court Judge David Bales is now allowing defendants to post cash bonds rather than going through the traditional system involving bail bond agents, the Chattanoogan reports. According to Judge Bales, the system gives defendants the impetus to come up for their case, and it brings in much-needed income for the county. When the defendant has fulfilled his commitment on the bond, the amount he or she owes the county for fines or court costs is deducted from the amount that is rebated.

Former chief magistrate Larry Ables informed Hamilton County Commission members yesterday that he is withdrawing as a candidate to seek another term as a judicial magistrate in order to plan a campaign to run for General Sessions Court judge next year. The Chattanoogan has the story.

Bradley County Commission Vice Chairman J. Adam Lowe is running to replace Eric Watson, R-Cleveland, as the District 22 state representative, the Chattanoogan reports. “My wife and I have known for some time that I was feeling led to serve in a different role in our area,” Lowe told a group of supporters at a private gathering. “When it was clear the state seat was open, I knew that it was time to take my work ethic and experience to Nashville.” Rep. Watson announced earlier this month that he would not seek re-election in order to run for Bradley County sheriff.

Dan Howell, longtime executive assistant to Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis, may run for the state House of Representatives against Adam Lowe, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. Howell, who represents Bradley, McMinn, Polk and Meigs counties on the Republican State Executive Committee, will make an announcement about his plans in the coming weeks, a news release issued by RedRight Strategies says.

The federal judiciary will hand over more than 66,300 square feet of underused office space in 31 court buildings across the county, saving $1.7 million in annual rent, the Blog of the Legal Times reports. Space in the offices will be returned to the U.S. General Services Administration, which manages court facilities, as part of a series of cost-saving measures the federal judiciary adopted to cope with budget cuts.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee will host two Open-Door Rural Intake And Advice Clinics this Friday. One clinic will be held in Madisonville at the Monroe County Courthouse at 9:30 a.m. The clinic in Athens will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the McMinn County Courthouse. For more information, contact Charlie McDaniel or visit www.laet.org/pro-bono.aspx

Authors Stephen and Gaile Owens will discuss their new book “Set Free: Discover Forgiveness Amidst Murder and Betrayal” on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Lipscomb University's Swang Business Center, hosted by the Lipscomb Serving and Learning Together Program, the Institute for Law, Justice and Society and the LIFE program. “Set Free” describes Stephen’s journey to forgive his mother after her incarceration for attempting to have his father killed.

Ernie Murphy Downing Sr. died Wednesday (Oct. 9) at the age of 82. Originally from Obion County, he graduated in 1968 from Memphis State University School of Law, where he was a member of the Sigma Delta Kappa National Legal Aid and Defender Association. In 1978, Downing was appointed as a Colonel Aide de Camp to the Tennessee governor's staff. Funeral services will be Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Chapel of Johnson-Williams Funeral Home in Newbern. The Commercial Appeal has more on Downing's life.

More than 80 percent of Lincoln Memorial University John J. Duncan Jr. School of Law’s first class of graduates passed the state bar exam, Knoxnews reports. The school, which is in the midst of its second attempt to receive accreditation from the American Bar Association, sees the results as validation for the rigor and quality of the program. “I think this concrete evidence of successful training and education will have a significant impact on that accreditation committee — a significant and very favorable impact,” Dean Parham Williams said. “This is proof positive that we have been doing great things.”