Lawyers for Christa Pike, Tennessee's only woman on death row, have finalized a settlement to end her solitary confinement. Male death row inmates are separated from the general prison population, but they are allowed to work, eat meals and congregate outside their cells with good behavior. The Nashville Banner reports that as the only woman, Pike effectively has been in solitary confinement for nearly 30 years, conditions which her lawyers say "have had a devastating impact on her mental and physical health." The agreement will grant her the behavior-dependent opportunities afforded to the men on Tennessee’s death row, giving her more time out of her cell and allowing her to work a job and share meals with other incarcerated women. A motion to reopen her case and reduce her sentence was filed in 2023, but was denied.

The Rutherford County Board of Education voted Sept. 19 to remove six books from high school libraries, including Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Beloved." The ACLU of Tennessee had urged officials not to remove the books, issuing this statement. Chalkbeat reports that recent changes to a 2022 state school library law have created confusion for librarians and school leaders, leading some to quietly pull controversial books from the shelves. WKRN reports that a recent survey of members of the Tennessee Association of School Librarians found that more than 1,100 titles have been removed statewide under the new changes, and more are under review in various districts.

Federal authorities arrested and charged a Texas man last week for online threats made against Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk. David Bloyed of Frost, Texas, allegedly made the threats against Funk on a social media platform in July after a member of a hate group was arrested in Nashville. “In a functioning democracy, we simply cannot tolerate threats of violence against elected officials,” U.S. attorney Henry Leventis said. Read more in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Monday issued a statement on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision not to review the Friends of George's Inc. v. Steven Mulroy case, saying in part, "We fought hard to defend Tennessee’s Adult Entertainment Act, and I am glad that the entire Court of Appeals unanimously declined to rehear the case." Friends of George's, a Memphis-based theatre group, challenged the law in March, alleging that it violated the First Amendment and would have a chilling effect on the state’s LGBTQ community. The district court agreed and halted enforcement of the law in Shelby County. A three-judge panel of the appellate court reversed the decision in July, saying, “there is no constitutional interest in exhibiting indecent material to minors.” The theatre group appealed to the full court later that month.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) continued its visits to Tennessee law schools today with a discussion at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Daniel Mendoza, a 3L at the school and a graduate of the 2024 YLD Diversity Leadership Institute shared his experiences with the program and encouraged others to apply for this valuable opportunity. Mendoza was joined by Samantha Ellis, YLD CLE chair for East Tennessee, who has been an integral part of planning educational programs for young lawyers. See photos from the event.

Judge Zachary Walden, TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) East Tennessee governor and mock trial long range planning coordinator, spoke at the East Tennessee Director of Schools Study Council today about civics education. Walden also spoke about the TBA YLD Mock Trial competition and its new component, the artist in the courtroom competition. He noted that mock trial is an excellent way to get students actively involved in civics education as it increases their knowledge of the law and the legal system. Visit the TBA website for more information about the the 2025 mock trial competition.

The U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) has updated its guidelines for federal prosecutors for evaluating corporate compliance programs to include questions about a company's use of artificial intelligence (AI). The new criteria aim to ensure that companies are taking appropriate steps to mitigate the risks associated with AI-facilitated crimes. Prosecutors now should consider factors such as the extent of human involvement in AI decision-making, risk assessments, and employee training on AI technologies, according to Bloomberg Law. The update follows a February directive from U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, which calls for stricter penalties for criminals using AI to advance their misconduct. On a state level, the TBA’s AI Task Force is working to explore the intersection of AI and the legal profession to ensure that attorneys are well-equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of AI technology to promote advancement of the profession.

Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn's office held an expungement clinic to help individuals with criminal records start over. The clinic provided free consultations to help people determine if they were eligible to have certain nonviolent misdemeanors or felonies removed from their records. Over 100 people attended the clinic, which was the 25th of its kind since Kuhn took office in 2018. The office has helped expunge records for more than 9,000 people since 2018, according to the Daily Memphian.

Jaquan Bridges of Memphis recently was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possessing a machine gun. The sentence comes after Bridges was found guilty of firing at a Shelby County Sheriff's deputy during a high-speed chase in 2022. Bridges pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2024. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. In 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on the core principles of fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results. Read more about the case in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that the state will not challenge a court ruling allowing a gun referendum to appear on Memphis' Nov. 5 ballot, the Daily Memphian reports. A Shelby County chancellor ruled on Sept. 11 that three gun safety measures, including restrictions on carrying handguns without a valid permit, could go before voters.  Skrmetti expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the referendum, stating, "These ballot questions are a fraud on the voters of Memphis," but said the state would respect the court's ruling and not file an emergency appeal. Memphis city council members previously had filed suit against the Shelby County Election Commission to secure the referendum's place on the ballot.