On Monday, reports emerged that Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert’s office was closing its Poplar Plaza location and that the office had been evicted for non-payment of rent. Halbert later issued a statement confirming the office closure but, according to the Daily Memphian, denied reports of eviction. She did however admit that the office was two months behind on rent payments, saying, “We were not evicted. Whether or not we may have gotten behind on a rent or two — that’s a different issue.”

The Freedom from Religion Foundation is asking Robertson County Schools to investigate a religious event that happened during basketball practice at White House Heritage High School on Nov. 1. The foundation, which works to uphold the separation of religion and governance, alleges that a member of the Fellowship for Christian Athletes (FCA) was invited to a basketball practice and was allowed to lead a “feet-washing and proselytizing event” during practice. The Tennessean reports that the school system says it is “exploring the entire event and doing an investigation to make sure we've got all the information and that our assessment is accurate.”

Cassidy Busbin, an active-duty U.S. Army solider at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was arrested this week on charges of cyberstalking after allegedly making threatening social media posts targeting judges, including one involved in his divorce and child custody proceedings. That post referenced a news story about a family court judge in Maryland who was murdered after granting full custody to the mother in the case. Court records say that Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Olita “felt that if she continued to do her job, she may suffer the same fate as the Maryland judge,” and she felt “her life was in danger.” CNN has the full story.

Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC yesterday announced that Memphis lawyer Christopher S. Campbell has been selected as chief manager of the firm. Bringing more than 25 years of diverse litigation and appellate expertise to the position, he becomes the first African American attorney to lead the law firm. “As we move into next year, so much is happening in our area – Blue Oval City is making a billion-dollar investment just north of Memphis, Nashville is growing rapidly, and Oxford continues to steadily grow and diversify,” said Campbell. “As we add new attorneys, we do so with the mindset of meeting the growth and innovation across different industries. The law continues to evolve, and so do we.” The firm has offices in Memphis, Covington and Nashville and Oxford, Mississippi. Read the firm's press release.

A federal judge has sentenced former Shelby County Deputy Jailer Kimberly Price to 14 months in prison for possession of narcotics, knowing that the drugs would be distributed inside the county jail. The announcement was made by Kevin G. Ritz, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. Price was sentenced for her role in arranging delivery of cocaine and fentanyl to inmates at the county correctional center. Price also was ordered to serve two years of supervised release after completing her prison term. She had pled guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute in May. Read the full release.

Seven unnamed Metro Nashville Police officers were put on "administrative assignment" yesterday after purported pages from the Covenant School shooter's notebook were released by a conservative media personality last week, the Tennessean reports. The officers have "full police power" and the assignments are "non-punitive" and meant to protect the ongoing investigation, according to a police spokeperson. While the police chief has verified authenticity of the documents, Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz has not. The Tennessean also notes that it has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents.

After more than two decades with the Tennessee Bar Association, Assistant Executive Director Barry Kolar is transitioning from the organization at the end of the year. He will remain active in Nashville’s non-profit community, continuing to serve with Sister Cities of Nashville, the YMCA, Urban Bicycle Food Ministry and other organizations. “It has been a privilege to be a part of the Tennessee legal community through the good works of the TBA. I will miss the many friends I have made on the staff and among the membership, and I hope to keep in touch with you,” Kolar said. During his time at the TBA, Kolar has been involved in the launch of TBA Today and TBA Leadership Law, the expansion of online CLE programming and a number of other programs. The TBA is now accepting applications for the assistant executive director position. Learn more here.

Two police reform experts spoke during a community forum in Memphis this week about the ongoing investigation of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) and how departments in other cities have implemented recommended reforms, the Daily Memphian reports. Iris Roley, an activist from Cincinnati who was involved with reforms at that city’s police department, and Richard Jerome, deputy monitor of the New York Police Department, spoke at the event, which was sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. The Department of Justice announced in July that it was beginning a pattern-or-practice investigation of the MPD to examine alleged civil rights violations.

Members of the Nashville Metro Council are pushing to have every bar in Nashville certified as a "Safe Bar" to raise awareness over the dangers of date-rape drugs being slipped into drinks, reports the Tennessean. The effort comes after the Tennessean reported that nearly 25% of victims who received sexual assault exams at the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville in 2023 believe they were drugged. Staff at the center said they began tracking numbers last year after they saw an increase in people who claimed they were drugged while at downtown bars. The center’s free program Safe Bar, educates staff at local bars and restaurants on their role in preventing sexual violence, but so far, few bars have participated.

A lawyer for the Biden administration told an appeals court Tuesday that a California-based federal judge was wrong in July to block a rule imposing new restrictions on asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, reports Reuters. The regulation presumes most migrants are not eligible to apply for asylum if they pass through other nations without seeking protection there first, or if they cross the border illegally instead of arriving at a designated port of entry. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard the government's appeal, which argued the rule is valid since it includes various exceptions to rebut the presumption that these migrants are ineligible for protection.