Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from 39 states and territories in opposing a proposed federal amendment that would bar states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI) products. In a letter led by the attorneys general of Tennessee, Colorado, New Hampshire and Vermont, the group urged Congress to reject the AI-related provision in the budget reconciliation bill, warning that it would strip away critical consumer protections without establishing a sufficient federal framework. Skrmetti said in a release that eliminating state oversight would leave Americans vulnerable to privacy violations, consumer exploitation and antitrust abuses. The letter emphasizes that states have been at the forefront of regulating emerging technologies and are best positioned to respond to the evolving risks posed by AI.

A federal jury on Friday found former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada guilty on 17 of 19 charges and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, guilty on all 19 counts. Casada and Cothren each face up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, and attorneys for both men said they plan to appeal, The Tennessean reports. Casada was acquitted on two fraud charges but convicted of conspiracy to commit theft and fraud, theft, bribery and kickbacks, honest services wire fraud, use of a fictitious name, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. The trial included key testimony from former Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, an alleged co-conspirator, as well as Office of Legislative Administration Director Connie Ridley, both of whom played central roles in the prosecution’s case. Read more in a press release from the U.S. attorneys office.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill into law protecting educators and school contractors from disciplinary action and lawsuits if they misgender or deadname students, staff or others within their school district, WBIR reports. In addition, the new law shields public schools and districts from liability in such cases. Those who are disciplined may sue for monetary damages after going through a complaint process. The law, which was sponsored by Rep. Mark Cochran, R-Englewood, in the House and by Sen. Paul Rose, R-Covington, in the Senate, also prohibits schools and teachers from requiring students, employees or contractors to share preferred pronouns and names, and educators may not ask students to refer to them by a preferred pronoun. For institutions of higher education, the bill prohibits the disciplining of students, faculty, employees or contractors who refuse to provide preferred pronouns. The law went into effect on May 9.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled in favor of the City of Memphis in a lawsuit brought by Alicia Franklin, who was raped by Cleotha Abston in 2021. The court affirmed that the city is protected from suit over Franklin’s claims that Memphis police failed to properly investigate her case. Abston later kidnapped and killed Memphis schoolteacher Eliza Fletcher in 2022. Franklin alleged in her lawsuit that the Memphis Police Department could have prevented Fletcher’s abduction had her rape been thoroughly investigated in the year prior, The Daily Memphian reports. Abston was convicted in April 2024 in Franklin’s case and pleaded guilty in October 2024 to Fletcher’s abduction and killing.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate declined for the second consecutive month, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5% in April, down one-tenth of a percentage point from March. Tennessee’s rate remained well below the national unemployment rate, which held steady at 3.9% in April 2024. Total nonfarm employment in Tennessee increased by 8,600 jobs between March and April, with the largest gains in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, followed by professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality.

The winners of the Seventh Annual Federal Court Civics Essay Contest were honored at a celebration this week at the Howard H. Baker Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Knoxville. The first place winner was Gabriella D’Agostino, a freshman at Chuckey Doak High School in Afton. Marteze Simpson, a junior at Knox County’s Fulton High School, won second place. Third place went to Jefferson County High School junior Alexa Longmire. Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne H. Bauknight, U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia R. Wyrick and U.S. District Judge Katherine A. Crytzer were on hand to congratulate the students. The essay contest is sponsored by the court’s Civics and Outreach Committee and the Federal Bar Association chapters in Knoxville and Greeneville. This year’s contest asked students to consider the meaning of the term “reasonableness” as applied to the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable force by law enforcement. Read more from Chattanoogan.com.

Janie Varnell will be Hamilton County's next attorney following a vote by the county commission, the Times Free Press reports. She will take office on July 1, replacing Rheubin Taylor who has held the role for over 30 years and is retiring. Varnell, previously a private practice attorney who has worked extensively on legal cases concerning police, has been serving as a special adviser to the county mayor and commission. County Mayor Weston Wamp last year named Varnell as his pick to succeed Taylor and attempted to have her installed early. A judge sided with Taylor saying his contract with the county protected his position until his contract expires in July.

Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page has joined Miles Mediation & Arbitration, an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider, as a full-time mediator and arbitrator. Page practiced law in Tennessee and Georgia from 1984 to 1998, before being elected as circuit judge in West Tennessee. During his time on the bench, he began handling Rule 31A, Section 16 judicial settlement conferences, participating in mediations involving medical malpractice, personal injury, construction, wrongful death and real estate disputes. He continued to handle judicial settlement conferences until he joined the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in 2011. He joined the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2016 and served until last year. Page can be reached at 731-426-0861 and rpage@milesadr.com.

A Washington, D.C., based federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Justice (DOJ) from canceling $3.2 million in grants to the American Bar Association (ABA), Reuters reports. The grants have been used to train lawyers to represent victims of domestic and sexual violence since 1995 according to the group. In the opinion, Judge Christopher Cooper said, "The First Amendment injury is concrete and ongoing. The ABA regularly engages in protected expressive activity, and DOJ’s termination of its grants directly punishes that activity." The ABA sued the DOJ in April, claiming the agency illegally terminated the grants in retaliation for the association’s public criticism of the Trump administration.

The Nashville Predators have awarded a grant to the 23rd Judicial District Recovery Court to provide hockey and soccer equipment for the use of the children of Recovery Court participants during visitation days. “Reuniting families is a big part of what we do,” said Circuit and Recovery Court Judge Suzanne Lockert-Mash. “The recovery process includes getting parents involved in their children’s lives again. We appreciate the Nashville Predators for giving us the means to teach important parenting skills,” she said. The 23rd Judicial District Recovery Court is a collaborative link between the courts, prosecutors, public defenders, law enforcement, probation officers, treatment providers, social service agencies and community-based nonprofit organizations. The program serves the citizens of Dickson, Cheatham, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart counties. Read more in a press release from the team. See a photo from the donation handoff.