Several Middle Tennessee law enforcement agencies, including the Metro Nashville Police Department, Franklin Police Department and Mt. Juliet Police Department, have launched anti-retail theft operations ahead of the holiday season. All agencies have warned that individuals caught stealing from stores or breaking into cars will be arrested and prosecuted. According to WKRN News, shoplifting cases have risen by 20% this year in Mt. Juliet. As part of "Operation Safe Shopper," the Mt. Juliet Police Department plans to deploy mobile surveillance towers, increase patrols and assign more undercover officers. The Metro Nashville Police Department will work closely with mall security, with 10 to 12 detectives dedicated to the organized retail crime unit.

A Memphis judge ruled last week that Emmitt Martin III, one of the five former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols, will be tried separately from co-defendants. According to the Daily Memphian, the lawyers for Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley — Martin’s co-defendants — argued before Shelby County Criminal Court that Martin should be split from the three in state court because of his cooperation with prosecutors in the federal case. Martin pleaded guilty to federal charges in August and implicated his co-defendants in Nichols’ death at the federal trial in September. According to the paper, the officers will return to court in February at which time the state will indicate whether Martin intends to enter a plea deal or go to trial.

The 3rd Judicial District Recovery Court was awarded a federal grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for just under $2 million, the Administrative Office of the Courts announced in a press release. According to Circuit Court Judge Beth Bonifaceto, the grant will be distributed over five years to serve all four counties in the district and will allow the court to expand case management, behavioral health and individual counseling services to participants in Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties. The recovery court currently runs three sober living homes in Hamblen County.

The Nashville mayor’s office and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) are making a push to secure the city council’s support for Fusus, a surveillance footage centralization system that would allow police to access private surveillance cameras to aid in investigations. According to the Nashville Banner, at the council’s most recent meeting, two dozen residents spoke about the contract, many in opposition to the idea. An amendment to address concerns includes provisions to terminate the contract if federal or state law enforcement misuses the system, prohibit facial recognition or AI, and ensure that the company cannot change its terms unilaterally. If approved, MNPD could use Fusus to access private surveillance footage from camera owners who volunteer for the program. Police could review the footage in prescribed scenarios, including in response to higher-level calls for service. The council will reconsider the issue Tuesday night.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case looking at whether judges improperly sealed files critical of Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Cheryl Blackburn’s performance on the bench. The Nashville Banner, which is bringing the suit, says that defense attorneys and prosecutors have long been concerned about Blackburn’s performance following a stroke she had in 2021. According to the Banner, Blackburn stumbled over her words, misspoke and appeared to fall asleep multiple times during a recent case. When the news outlet attempted to unseal a motion allegedly making specific claims about Blackburn’s competency, the motion was denied. The Tennessee Court of Appeals later narrowly upheld that ruling. The high court now will consider the request. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and the Tennessee Press Association have filed a brief supporting the Banner’s motion to unseal the documents.

Wayne County General Sessions & Juvenile Court Judge James Y. Ross received the Sharon G. Lee Award of Excellence at the 2024 Annual Tennessee Municipal Court Judges Conference. Ross was elected as Wayne County general sessions and Clifton city judge in 1998. He also has served as Collinwood city judge since 2000. Prior to joining the bench, Ross served as Wayne County Attorney for 10 years and as a solo practitioner. The award, named for former Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee, recognizes a judge who has made a significant contribution to the Municipal Judges Conference. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on Ross’ career.

The Administrative Office of the Courts regularly highlights judges who have a compelling life story or career path. A recent profile of 21st District Circuit Court Judge David Veile looks at the long but persistent journey Veile took to pursue his dream of becoming a Tennessee judge. Veile was elected in August to fill the seat of retired Judge Michael Binkley after applying several times for appointments to the bench. “I think I may hold the title of most nominated. I’m four out of four for nominations and the least appointed with zero out of four,” he says. Veile’s prior experience as a Metro Nashville Police Officer and criminal defense lawyer gives him perspective on both sides of cases. With two months on the job, Veile says he feels a different level of responsibility and is embracing the preparation needed for cases, calling it his “absolute dream job.”

Some 30 lawyers have had their credentials misused to fraudulently secure trademark protections, a growing problem facing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), Bloomberg Law reports. Scammers have faked application materials, misused attorney credentials or used social engineering to hijack applicants’ accounts to file fraudulent applications. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), more than a third of the 2.8 million trademark applications received by the PTO may be false or inaccurate. The GAO advised the PTO to more regularly assess fraud risk of the trademark register while improving its data systems for stronger risk management. The PTO is encouraging lawyers to help spread the word about these scams.

Aspiring lawyers consistently have given law schools high marks over the past two decades, with about 80% rating their experience as either “good” or “excellent.” This year’s Law School Survey of Student Engagement is no different, according to Reuters. The survey also revealed that satisfaction rates among students of color remained consistently lower than among white counterparts. The survey found that 84% of white students rated their overall law school experience as good or excellent, whereas just 67% of Black students and 77% of Latino students gave similar high ratings. The survey, conducted by Indiana University's Center for Postsecondary Research, marked its 20th edition this year with a look back at how student diversity, debt loads, career plans and satisfaction levels have changed — or not — over the years.

Cheatham Middle School in Ashland City must choose a new mascot after the University of Cincinnati (UC) sent a cease-and-desist letter concerning copyright and licensing infringements regarding the school's current mascot, the Bearcats. In a social media post, Cheatham Middle School submitted a proposal to UC agreeing to remove the logo and create a new one but was denied and informed that the school can no longer use or refer to themselves as the "Bearcats." UC owns a sports licensing copyright for the word. The Tennessean reports that, after gathering community input, the top four choices for a new mascot are Musketeers, Bobcats, Cubs or Coyotes.