The Elizabethton City Council is set to vote Thursday on whether to declare the municipal court judge’s seat vacant due to a temporary suspension of Judge Jason Holly’s law license. According to the Elizabethton Star, the Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Holly’s law license in October 2024 for failing to respond to three misconduct complaints. Since his suspension, Holly has not presided over court. In December, the council unanimously appointed 1st Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Stacy L. Street as acting municipal judge. In January, Holly filed a petition for reinstatement, asserting he had met all conditions set by the court by responding to the outstanding complaints. However, days later, the court issued a public censure against Holly for failing to formally respond to the complaints. A Jan. 17 order stated that proceedings on Holly’s petition to dissolve the suspension would begin with a hearing by the Board of Professional Responsibility.

A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Middle District of Tennessee, charging eight defendants with various offenses related to their roles in a transnational commercial sex enterprise. According to the court's press release, the defendants operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking ring out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024. The indictment alleges that after facilitating the victims’ arrival in the U.S., the defendants used online commercial sex websites to post advertisements and directed commercial sex buyers to meet the victims at the motels. Authorities identified the individuals as members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. In November 2024, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation warned that the gang was operating in major cities across the state. “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire.

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) says that nearly 100 children in state custody spent the night in DCS offices in 2024, despite the agency's two-year effort to shift kids into transitional homes. According to the Tennessean, DCS says the issue stems from a growing number of children with severe behavioral or medical needs who cannot safely be placed in temporary, transitional homes. The state's most severe DCS cases are largely concentrated in the Tennessee Valley region, which includes Hamilton, Bradley and Rhea counties, though it is not clear what is driving the influx, officials say.

Judge Jeremy Ball was appointed 4th Judicial District Circuit Court judge by Gov. Bill Lee on Jan. 17. The court covers Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. He was sworn into office on Jan. 21, with his daughter, Dana, leading the Pledge of Allegiance. By day two on the bench, Ball was presiding over the drug recovery court where he spent many years prosecuting cases as an assistant district attorney (ADA). “I was primarily based in Jefferson County, so really getting more knowledge about the other people in those districts, particularly on the civil side, because I had always been an ADA. It’s been fun to meet people that I haven’t dealt with on a day-to-day basis yet.” Read more in a profile of Ball from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Four inmates at the Shelby County Jail died in a seven day span from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7. The Commercial Appeal reports that two of the deaths were from suicide and an apparent fentanyl overdose, though how the fentanyl got into the jail is unclear. The other two deaths are being investigated. According to the Daily Memphian, State Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, and state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, have proposed a bill allowing Shelby County to ask voters if they want to raise the local-option sales tax from 2.75% to 3.75% to help fund a new jail. If the bill clears the Tennessee General Assembly, voters would still have to pass the sales tax hike through a referendum. The jail has faced much criticism over the past several years regarding conditions ranging from broken doors and inadequate living conditions in intake to lack of beds and overcrowded holding cells. Commissioners approved $10 million in emergency repairs funding in September.

Federal agents on Monday removed a group of workers from Memphis taco truck TacoNGanas. Video footage shows four men in hoodies enter the food truck and usher employees outside. In a social media post, TacoNGanas wrote that it was not aware of what prompted the incident. “We have heard from the employees. They’ve been told they’re being detained by ICE,” the post reads. “We don’t know if the men you see in the video work for ICE or for someone else. You’ll see they have no uniforms, do not show any badge or ID, and did not leave any identifying information or paperwork.” The city of Memphis released a statement, saying, "Although these matters don’t fall under our jurisdiction, we reached out to federal authorities out of concern. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) confirmed that this action was carried out by federal agents." The Daily Memphian has the story.

In his seventh State of the State Address, Gov. Bill Lee unveiled a $59.5 billion budget proposal Monday that focuses on core government services including education, public safety, infrastructure upgrades, farmland grants, nuclear energy and increased investments in trade schools. Axios reports the breakdown includes $37.9 million for the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which would cover 100 new state troopers; $3.4 million in funding for 22 new positions at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; $1 billion to the Tennessee Department of Transportation; and $275 million for a newly created emergency operations center. According to the Nashville Banner, in addition to the $145 million for his private school voucher program, Lee’s budget proposal includes more than $580 million in public school investments, including both one-time teacher bonuses and teacher pay increases promised during the special session. See a detailed breakdown of the proposed budget.

Members of the 2025 TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) class gathered last weekend in Nashville for the program's opening retreat. The event featured sessions providing an introduction to the program and the chance to hear from some of Tennessee’s top leaders. Speakers included TBA President-elect Heidi Barcus, Abby Rubenfeld, Byron Trauger, DarKenya W. Waller, Deb Varallo, Donna Yurdin, Emily Heird, Emily Landry and Maureen Holland. The class also heard from a range of judicial leaders including U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Kevin Ritz, Tennessee Court of Appeals Judges Kristi Davis and Jeffrey Usman, Tennessee Circuit Court Judge Joel Wallace, General Sessions Court Judge Danielle Mitchell and Judicial Commissioner Christopher Ingram. View pictures from the event. TBALL strives to equip participants with the vision, knowledge and skills necessary to serve as leaders. Learn more about the program.

Belmont University College of Law has been named one of 10 finalists in Bloomberg Law’s third annual Law School Innovation Program, exemplifying a holistic approach to legal education. Belmont Law’s Extended Enneagram Training was selected from more than 30 program applications and was the only program chosen in Tennessee. Bloomberg Law focused on career resilience for its 2024-2025 program, asking law schools what they are doing to counteract burnout and build fortitude for a fulfilling, long-term legal career. Intentionally designed by Deborah Farringer, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of law, and Kristi Arth, assistant dean for experiential learning and assistant professor of law, the Extended Enneagram Training falls into the well-being finalist category. Read more in a release from the law school.

The Washington County Bar Association (WCBA) announced its 2025 officers on Friday. They are: President Jerome Cochran, President-elect Brady Smith, Vice President Hunter Shepard; Secretary Thomas J. Smith; and Treasurer Jesse J. Campbell. In addition, three board members were elected. They are: Nora Koffman, Sarah Larkin and Solange McDaniel.