The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday considered whether appeals should wait until inmates are mentally competent enough to assist their lawyers, and according to an Associated Press story in TriCities.com, seemed inclined to eliminate the authority of federal judges to indefinitely delay appeals. However, the justices spent considerable time talking about the differences in a proposed delay of six or nine months, or as much as a year. Lawyers for two death row inmates, however, urged the court to leave that discretion to the sitting judge. “No individual should lose potentially meritorious claims because of mental illness,” one of them argued.

The Shelby County Commission recently voted to have its Audit Committee review legal charges accrued during the ongoing court battle to stop municipalities from forming their own school districts. The board also authorized $71,490 to cover existing bills from its outside counsel -- the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell -- and set aside $800,000 for future legal expenses. The board did not approve a proposal to hire an outside audit agency to review the legal bills. The Commercial Appeal has the story

The Department of Children’s Services (DCS) has identified more than 1,700 defects in its computer system, the Tennessee Family and Child Tracking System. The system, which has been in place since 2009, is said to account for a multitude of DCS problems such as skipped payments to foster parents and failure to identify children's abuse histories. The $27 million system will cost the state $3.96 million to fix. The Tennessean has the story

Legal experts foresee lawsuits related to the meningitis outbreak to grow, News Channel 5 reports. According to recent reports, there have been 39 cases of infection and six deaths in Tennessee, while the national death toll has risen to 11. While no suits have been filed yet, many law firms say they have been contacted about legal rights regarding the outbreak.

U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen has dismissed a lawsuit by a former Bolivar police chief alleging racial discrimination related to his firing last year, the Jackson Sun reports. Bill Irons sued the city of Bolivar and city officials in December 2011 on claims, among others, of conspiracy and First Amendment retaliation after the city council voted to fire him in August 2011. Irons’ attorney, Michael G. Floyd, said he did not know yet if Irons would appeal.

A Prohibition-era state law prevents the Chattanooga Whiskey Co. from opening their distillery in Chattanooga, according to the state attorney general. In 2009, Tennessee lawmakers circumvented the law, allowing Lincoln, Moore and Coffee county commissioners to approve liquor production. But since Hamilton County was excluded from that bill, commissioners there do not have the authority to approve distilleries. The Times Free Press has a history of the issue

WATE.com reports LaFollette traffic court judge Wes Hatmaker of Jacksboro was arrested after police pulled him over for a minor traffic violation and found him driving with a license that had been suspended since 1998. Hatmaker, a lawyer, says he did not know his license was suspended until a month before his arrest. A court date has not been set.

On Oct.11, the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Bradley County will host its third annual Moonlight Walk in memory of Melisha Gipson, a four-year-old Cleveland girl who died tragically in 1976 from child abuse. The case gained national exposure and resulted in increased child abuse laws in Tennessee and across the country, the Chattanoogan reports.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee will host an “Open-Door” intake clinic in Cleveland on Oct. 8, in which citizens can meet with attorneys and receive free legal counsel. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at 1075 Blythe Ave., SE, Suite 8, Cleveland, TN 37311. Contact Charlie McDaniel for more information. See a list of all this month's Celebrate Pro Bono events

The Department of Justice Investment Fraud Summit series kicked off yesterday at Vanderbilt Law School on the heels of a major Brentwood financial scam, News Channel 5 reports. Aaron Vallett pled guilty and was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to repay $5.4 million for running a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. Vallet’s victims shared their stories at the summit Thursday.