Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett recently sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty with concerns about “unnecessary burdens placed on businesses owned and operated by our fellow Tennesseans,” reports the Upper Cumberland Business Journal. The letter acts as an official request to repeal a “requirement under the Corporate Transparency Act” that Hargett says burdens small business operating in both the country and state by forcing them to report information on the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The requirement, which was set up as a counterterrorism and anti-illicit finance effort, focuses on businesses with 25 or fewer employees while exempting certain publicly traded companies, non profits and some large companies.

Sean Williams, the Johnson City man who is accused of multiple of sexual assaults, was convicted of escaping federal custody by a federal jury today. The evidence presented at trial highlighted the multi-state manhunt that led to the capture of Williams in Pinellas County, Florida, on Nov. 21, 2023, after he escaped from a transport van en route to the Greeneville Federal Courthouse on Oct. 18, 2023. Sentencing is set for Nov. 18 in Greeneville. Williams faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Read more in a press release from the federal prosecutor.

Citizens United and 16 state political parties — including the Tennessee Republican Party — on Thursday filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of improperly assuming control of Biden campaign funds after he withdrew from the presidential race. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the complaint is asking the FEC’s six-person commission — split evenly between Democrats and Republicans — to “immediately initiate enforcement proceedings to prevent Harris from using her ill-gotten gains for her campaign in the little time remaining between now and the November general election.” A Harris campaign spokesperson said in a statement that the complaint had no merit; the FEC declined to comment.

In an ongoing effort to halt construction of the new Memphis Art Museum, Friends for Our Riverfront and heirs of Memphis’ founders have filed an appeal seeking to reverse a June ruling by Chancellor Melanie Taylor Jefferson. The appeal claims that Taylor Jefferson did not distinguish between a temporary injunction and a temporary restraining order in the group's efforts to stop construction. The Daily Memphian reports that the chancellor denied the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary injunction sought nine months earlier because they did not post a $1 million bond for the restraining order. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say that a different bond for a longer period of time with the restraining order should have been at least argued by all sides before the court ruled.

Chattanooga attorney Hugh F. “Ken” Kendall III died July 23 at age 75. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law and in 1972 moved to Chattanooga where he began his law career at Shumacker and Thompson. After 16 years there, he opened a solo practice where he practiced until his death. During his career, Kendall was recognized with several awards and served in numerous leadership roles, including chair of the TBA's Tax, Probate and Trust Law section. A memorial service will take place in the sanctuary of Brainerd Baptist Church, 300 Brookfield Ave., Chattanooga 37411 at noon EDT on Aug. 10. The family will receive friends starting at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary prior to the service.

Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway has been announced as the keynote speaker for the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) Mediation Matters Luncheon, set for Sept. 26 at 11:30 a.m. CDT. The event will take place at Hillwood Country Club, 6201 Hickory Valley Rd., Nashville 37205. A brief program recognizing Sara Figal, recently retired executive director of NCRC, and Kathy Alspaugh, courtroom clerk with Metro Government, will begin at noon. Read a press release from the organization.

Chattanooga lawyer and past TBA President Sam Elliott was confirmed as chair-elect of the Tennessee Bar Foundation (TBF) Board of Trustees at the group's annual meeting in Memphis. He will serve a one-year term and move into the chair position beginning in June 2025, succeeding Jackie Dixon, also a past TBA president. The TBF administers Tennessee’s Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts program, honors distinguished attorneys as “fellows” and supports law-related public interest projects through grants. Chattanoogan.com has more.

Data from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) shows that crime is down in the city for the first half of 2024. The Daily Memphian reports that overall major property and violent crimes were down 18% through the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2023; homicides are down 11% with a total of 162 homicides as of June 30 compared to 182 on June 30, 2023; robberies are down 27% at 1,041 this year versus 1,427 last year; forcible rapes were down 7%; and aggravated assaults were down less than 1%. Officials credit Operation Code Zero, a bi-weekly enforcement effort that rotates through the city’s precincts, as one of the tactics contributing to the decrease. The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission also released similar data pointing to a decrease in crime from last year, but reports that the overall crime rate is up 20% from 2020.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and 13 other state attorneys general on Monday sent a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), expressing concerns over its revived pilot program aimed at removing title insurance requirements from certain loans sold to Fannie Mae. In the letter, Skrmetti emphasized the role of title insurance in safeguarding homeowners from fraudulent activities and exploitation, and stated that the pilot solely benefits homeowners with "lower risk" refinance loans, neglecting the needs of first-time and low-income homeowners. In a March 7 statement, FHFA Director Sandra Thompson said, "The title acceptance pilot will make it possible to test whether allowing lenders to sell these refinance loans is a responsible approach to reducing the closing costs incurred by existing homeowners. Lenders will also retain the option to provide evidence of clear title through other options, such as title insurance or an attorney opinion letter (AOL)."

The Memphis-based Community Legal Center (CLC) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception commemorating the opening of its new office on July 25 from 4-6 p.m. CDT. The center recently relocated to Brinkley Plaza at 80 Monroe Ave., Ste. 415, Memphis 38103. The event will celebrate the CLC's 30-year history of providing quality, affordable legal services for Memphians in need. RSVP here or email austinb@clcmemphis.org with questions.