Comedian Sarah Silverman and authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey today sued OpenAI Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. for copyright infringement claiming OpenAI’s artificial intelligence generators used their copyrighted works as training material. According to BloombergLaw, the authors seek a permanent injunction, damages and profits. OpenAI and other generative AI companies have faced a number of intellectual property lawsuits as well as increased scrutiny from Congress and government regulators.

The Federal Public Defender's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is now accepting applications for the district's Criminal Justice Act Panel. Members of the panel are private practice attorneys who are appointed to represent individuals accused of violating federal law and are unable to afford private counsel. Applicants for the panel must be members in good standing with the federal bar of the district and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorneys who lack experience may apply to participate in the CJA Fellows mentoring and training program. Applications for either program may be obtained from and returned to Panel Administrator Ann Card, Office of the Federal Public Defender, 810 Broadway, Ste. 200, Nashville, TN 37203, by emailing Card or by calling 615-695-6904. Completed applications must be received by Aug. 7.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office confirmed that former attorney general Herbert Slatery continues to do legal work for the state after leaving office last fall, reports the Tennessean. In January, Slatery was tapped by Skrmetti to assist the AG's office with "active and continuing oversight" of cooperation agreements under Tennessee's Hospital Cooperation at a pay rate of $400 per hour. Records of external legal appointments obtained by the Tennessean from January 2022 to the present show the state has hired over 20 lawyers and their firms to assist with a range of legal cases and issues.

Memphis lawyer Ben Crump yesterday called for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) to release video footage of the shooting of 21-year old Jarveon Hudspeth, who was killed during a traffic stop in Memphis on June 24, reports the Commercial Appeal. Crump is representing Hudspeth’s family. "Don't play games with this family," said Crump. "Release the video.” Hudspeth was shot by a SCSO officer during a traffic stop. The sheriff's office says that the officer was injured after being dragged over 100 feet during the incident. Hudspeth's mother, Charlotte Haggett, said she has received no information from the SCSO office other than a phone call that Hudspeth was in an accident and “didn’t make it.” The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the investigation remains active.

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz today announced the creation of a National Security and Civil Rights Unit within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This move permanently positions a supervisory attorney and several prosecutors to respond to and prevent hate crimes and civil rights violations, as well as threats to national security. According to a press release from Ritz' office, the new unit prioritizes cases consistent with Attorney General Merrick Garland’s May 27, 2021, directive to U.S. attorneys to combat hate crimes and incidents, address them when they occur, support those victimized by them and reduce the pernicious effects these incidents have on our society.

More than 31,000 Tennesseans have lost their health care coverage as TennCare coverage due to the COVID-19 pandemic tapers off. The Tennessee Lookout reports that an “unwinding report” details that, as of April, slightly more than 80,000 people were eligible to have TennCare coverage renewed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government temporarily prohibited Tennessee from requiring annual renewals and removing program participants, allowing TennCare participants to continue to receive coverage. The agency said the policy bumped up membership by 25%.

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily reinstated Tennessee’s law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, allowing a ban on treatments that include hormone blockers and surgery to take immediate effect. The Associated Press reports that a three-judge panel voted 2-1 to reverse a Nashville federal judge’s order that prevented the law from taking effect July 1. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti praised the ruling in a statement, saying “The case is far from over, but this is a big win.”

The city of Memphis Friday filed a motion to dismiss the civil suit from Tyre Nichols’ mother and estate, saying that Nichols’ death was the product of “five rogue police officers” and the city had no hand in the man’s death. According to the Daily Memphian, the city said it should not be a party to the suit because it fired the officers charged in Nichols’ death and disbanded the unit they belonged to.

Jennifer Sink is leaving her position as attorney for the city of Memphis to take a position at Memphis Light, Gas and Water. The Daily Memphian takes a look at her tenure at City Hall under Mayor Jim Strickland which included the COVID-19 pandemic and several lawsuits against the city. Sink says that much of her work — like a lot of what city government does — probably has gone unnoticed by residents. “There’s a lot of little things that we’ve done that maybe aren’t glamorous, maybe don’t make the news, but they’re important, and they have a ripple effect on people’s livelihood and their lives."

Salah Ayesh, a former board member of the Islamic Center of Tennessee (ICT), is being sued by the mosque and has been barred from entering the facility by a restraining order. The ICT board ousted Ayesh after he entered the business office without permission, sought to hire a consulting firm to complete a forensic audit and made an attempt to fire an imam. The Tennessean reports that Davidson County Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles granted ICT's request for a restraining order on Monday, saying “employees and parishioners may face further damage, harassment, threats and interference with its legitimate business.”