The State Building Commission has approved funding for selecting a designer and construction manager for renovations at the structures currently housing the Tennessee Supreme Court and former state library, the Nashville Post reports. Department of General Services Commissioner Christi Branscom told the commission that with the opening of a new state library, there is an opportunity to combine the two structures “to house more administrative offices of the court’s divisions.” Branscom said the project will preserve the historic elements of both buildings while providing a more modern and functional space. The plan includes additional office space and parking and an evaluation for a secure access corridor between the buildings.

Cleotha Abston-Henderson, the man charged with abducting and killing Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, will go to trial on April 8, 2024, in a separate rape case, the Commercial Appeal reports. Abston-Henderson is accused of raping Alicia Franklin about a year before Fletcher was killed. Franklin had filed a civil suit against the city of Memphis and Memphis Police Department for failing to adequately investigate the rape but the suit was dismissed earlier this year. Abston-Henderson’s new defense attorney, Juni Ganguli, has requested that jurors from Nashville be brought to Memphis for the trial, citing extensive local media coverage and public comments on social media. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office opposes that move.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee announced today that two former tactical officers for the state’s Department of Corrections Strike Force pleaded guilty for their roles in the assault of an inmate, and the cover up that followed, at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville. Javian Griffin of Nashville pleaded guilty to using unlawful force on an inmate and providing false information in his official report for the incident. His co-defendant, Sebron Hollands of Clarksville, pleaded guilty to providing false information in his official report regarding the same incident. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Griffin will serve a 48-month prison sentence. Hollands faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 19, 2024.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that Midwestern State University in Texas must face a Malaysian political science professor's race discrimination lawsuit, reports Reuters. The panel ruled that a lower court judge was wrong to toss out Sugumaran Narayanan's suit against the university because it did not involve an "ultimate employment decision" such as hiring, firing and setting pay – a test it previously used to determine whether cases should be allowed to continue. Narayanan claimed in 2018, that the university refused to let him teach summer courses based on his race and in retaliation for a previous discrimination complaint he filed against the school. Read the decision.

Campbell County Sheriff Wayne Barton says an investigation is underway after six inmates in the Campbell County Jail are believed to have overdosed, reports WATE Knoxville. Barton said that six inmates were taken to LaFollette Medical Center yesterday after suspected overdoses. The individuals were treated and are now back at the jail. The nature of the substance and its source are unknown at this time.

Fall out from the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action continues with ramifications for law firms, law schools and private organizations. The American Alliance for Equal Rights has dropped its suit against Perkins Coie’s fellowship program after the law firm made changes to eligibility criteria, Reuters reports. But the group said today it would sue three other firms – Winston & Strawn, Hunton Andrews & Kurth and Adams and Reese – if they do not change their law student diversity fellowship programs. Bloomberg Law has that story. In other news, Yale and Harvard are among law schools saying they will eliminate “diversity statements” in their application processes, Law.com reports. Finally, an appeals court has blocked a venture capital fund from awarding grants to businesses run by Black women. That move reverses a lower court’s decision, according to Reuters.

The U.S. government has agreed to pay $125 million to refund users of the electronic records system PACER to resolve a class action suit alleging the judiciary overcharged those who downloaded court documents. The settlement will provide automatic reimbursements of up to $350 for anyone who used PACER from April 2010 to May 2018, Reuters reports. Anyone who paid more than $350 during that time will be able to apply to receive a pro rata share of the remaining settlement funds. The settlement resolves a 2016 lawsuit filed by three nonprofits alleging the judiciary overstepped its authority when collecting fees. A federal judge still must sign off on the deal according to Bloomberg Law.

President Joe Biden recently detailed new efforts to eliminate so-called junk fees, including a proposed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that would require businesses to disclose all charges for goods and services upfront. Biden said the new rule was “the most comprehensive action” his administration has taken on hidden or confusing charges. In remarks announcing the rule, the president also said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau soon would propose a new rule to make it easier for consumers to switch banks. Bloomberg Law has more on the story.

Congress last year required federal judges to periodically disclose their stock trading information online to boost transparency and flag any potential conflicts. Judges are complying with the mandate, but watchdogs say the judiciary has been slow to post the information in a timely manner. Court officials tell Bloomberg Law they are doing their best, but the additional workload is stretching resources. That is leading the judiciary to ask Congress for nearly $300,000 to hire more people to do the job.

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced it has secured an agreement to improve and expand educational opportunities for students in the Fayette County School District. Under the consent order, approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the school district will improve its practices for identifying and serving students in its gifted programs and dual enrollment classes, and revise student discipline policies to prevent racial discrimination. Read more in a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee.