Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Holly Kirby appointed Judge Roy B. Morgan Jr. to hear the case against Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd. Boyd was indicted Tuesday and is charged with one count of coercion of a witness and one count of harassment. Judge Jennifer Mitchell recused herself after she was initially assigned to hear the case, as did Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. Frederick Agee, district attorney general for Crockett, Gibson and Haywood counties, has been assigned the case as the pro-tem prosecutor. The Commercial Appeal has the full story.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue has made substantial updates to several of its tax manuals. Changes are now available for the Alcohol Tax Manual; Business Tax Manual; F&E Tax Manual; County Clerk Sales and Use Tax Manual for Automobiles & Boats; Tax Manual for Farmers, Nursery Operators and Timber Harvesters; and Sales and Use Tax Manual. View updates on the department’s website.

The Nashville Bar Association (NBA) yesterday announced that Nashville attorney Bahar Azhdari has been named its 2024 president. Azhdari serves as associate general counsel for labor and employment at Brookdale Senior Living Inc. Other officers include Kaya Grace Porter, Kim Looney, Joseph Hubbard, Marie Scott, Christen Blackburn, Tabitha Robinson, Blake Bernard, Casey Miller and Lela M. Hollabaugh. Additionally, the John C. Tune Public Service Award was given to Michele Johnson of the Tennessee Justice Center. The purpose of the award is to recognize members who make outstanding contributions to the greater Nashville area community while distinguishing themselves as practicing attorneys. Read the full press release from the organization.

A federal judge today rejected a request by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) — the group that successfully challenged race-conscious college admissions policies before the U.S. Supreme Court — to bar the U.S. Naval Academy from considering race when evaluating candidates for the school. Reuters reports that U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett in Baltimore declined to issue a preliminary injunction sought by the group, saying it failed to show it would likely succeed in proving that the academy's consideration of race as an admissions factor was discriminatory.

An audit released Monday by the Tennessee Comptroller has found that from 2021 to 2023, Tennessee’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development failed to comply with federal standards for prompt payout of unemployment insurance claims. The Tennessean also reports that payments continue to be delayed significantly. State residents who lose their job through no fault of their own may be eligible for up to $275 per week in unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks in a year. Federal law requires states to pay unemployment benefits promptly to eligible residents.

The Nashville Bar Association (NBA) is seeking an executive director to provide leadership and direction to the organization. The executive director serves as the chief executive of the association and is responsible for day-to-day administration and management. The position also serves as the executive director of the Nashville Bar Foundation (NBF) and works with its board of trustees. Read more about the position.

President Joe Biden yesterday approved an expedited federal disaster declaration for areas in Tennessee affected by the Dec. 9 tornado outbreak, reports WKRN. The declaration will make recovery assistance available to four counties hit by the storms: Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Sumner. The disaster declaration includes FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) Program, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Direct Federal Assistance. Individuals in the declared counties can apply now for direct assistance through the FEMA IA program online at any time or by phone at 1-800-621-3362 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Multilingual operators are available.

Memphis Mayor-elect Paul Young announced today that Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis will remain as head of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) in the new mayoral administration, Daily Memphian reports. Davis was appointed police director in April 2021 by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. She is the first woman to hold the position since it was created in the early 1970s, and the first MPD leader to come from outside the ranks of the department in 40 years. Davis faced heavy criticism in the aftermath of the death of Tyre Nichols in January 2022.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) held its annual meeting Dec. 7. During the event, three awards were presented. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland received the Judge Jerome Turner Lawyer’s Lawyer Award, which recognizes a Memphis attorney who has practiced law for more than 15 years and embodies professionalism, civility and courtesy. Action News 5 has more on that award. Danielle Woods received the Sam Myar Jr. Memorial Award, which honors an attorney under 40 years old who has shown dedication and commitment to their practice and the legal community. Finally, David Cook received the W.J. Michael Cody Access to Justice Award. He also was honored earlier this year with the TBA's Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. See photos from the MBA event. 

A new Vanderbilt University poll shows that support among Tennesseans for gun safety reforms has increased in recent months as the state legislature's popularity continues to decline, reports Knox News. The poll found 76% of voters polled would support legally requiring gun owners to safely secure their firearms in vehicles and "passing laws that temporarily restrict access to guns for individuals who are at high risk of harming themselves or others." Only 16% would somewhat or strongly oppose the temporary gun restriction proposal, while 19% would oppose a vehicle safe storage law. Approval of the state legislature dropped one point from Vanderbilt's spring poll to 42%, the lowest ever recorded by the poll.