The Tennessee NAACP is calling for a federal investigation into the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) following a recent incident in which MNPD shared altered body-cam footage with Metro’s Community Oversight Board. “We call on Mayor Cooper and the Metropolitan Nashville Council to invite the U.S. Department of Justice to Nashville for a top-to-bottom review of MNPD practices,” a statement from the group reads according to the Nashville Scene. Beyond the body cam issue, the group also references instances of gender discrimination, sexual assault and harassment within MNPD, as well as alleged surveillance of the oversight board’s director.

A trial date of Oct. 25 has been set for former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada, WPLN reports. The Williamson County Republican pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court to involvement in a kickback scheme that funneled money from the General Assembly. Casada is facing charges alongside his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren. Both were indicted Tuesday on federal charges and pleaded not guilty at their initial court appearances.

Video obtained by Tennessee Lookout confirms that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent stepped on the neck of a worker who was face down on the floor with another agent on his back during a raid of a Grainger County slaughterhouse in April 2018. Additional videos and depositions obtained also show that federal agents seized, searched, cursed, handcuffed and detained Latino workers without any proof of wrongdoing, while allowing white workers to go free without further investigation. The news source said it gained access to the video after U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Seger unsealed the footage. The incident in question occurred at the Southeastern Provision slaughterhouse in Bean Station. The workers at the plant are suing the government for violation of their rights.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee is hosting a free one-hour program discussing local legal clinics and other pro bono opportunities. The virtual program will take place Sept. 9 from 3 - 4 p.m. EDT via Zoom. Invitations with the Zoom link will be sent in advance to those who register. The program will be capped at 300 attendees. 

The Tennessee Bar Association will open its doors to members interested in touring its new office space on Sept. 15, from 2-5 p.m. CDT. The office is located at 3310 West End Ave., Ste. 590 in Nashville. Visitor parking is available. Please register here so we know how many guests to expect.

The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation presented the 2022 Sue Ann Head Award for Excellence in Workers' Compensation to Bob Pitts Sr. at a luncheon last week. Pitts is a policy advisor with the Associated Builders and Contractors of Great Tennessee. Two finalists also were recognized for their influence on workers' compensation: Sarah Reisner, principal with Manier Herod, and Dan Headrick with Star Physical Therapy. The award is named in honor and memory of Sue Ann Head, who led the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Division for over 30 years. She died in 2018. See the announcement and photos from this year’s event.

Tennessee’s full abortion ban will go into effect tomorrow, following the 30-day waiting period under the state’s trigger law. Uncertainties remain in a post-Roe world, WSMV reports, with some physicians questioning their rights under the new law. Immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling returning abortion authority to the states, Tennessee’s six-week abortion ban went into effect. That ban will be superseded tomorrow by the Human Life Protection Act. Memphis defense attorney Blake Ballin with Ballin, Ballin & Fishman has been advising doctors. He says the law does not provide an exception for any kind of situation, whether it be for rape, incest or child abuse. The provision related to a mother’s life is an affirmative defense to criminal charges. He is telling doctors if they perform an abortion they could be charged with a felony. It would then be their responsibility to prove the life of the mother was in jeopardy.

Friends and colleagues gathered at a retirement reception for Circuit Court Judge Donald E. Parish last week. Matt Maddox, president of the Carroll County Bar Association, served as the master of ceremonies and introduced Parish’s former law partner Michael King, Court of Criminal Appeals Judge John Everett Williams and Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger A. Page, the McKenzie Banner reports. Local attorney Steve West unveiled a portrait of Parish that will be displayed in the Carroll County Courthouse. Parish, who announced his retirement last year, served on the bench for 16 years, worked in private practice for 25 years and has been active in the Carroll County Bar Association. The 24th Judicial District Circuit Court serves Henry, Carroll, Benton, Decatur and Hardin counties.

An annual report on hate crimes in Tennessee found a slight uptick in offenses that law enforcement tied to a known bias, Axios Nashville reports. The data, based on a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation report released this week, showed 133 crimes in 2021 were attributed to a bias compared to 122 in 2020. Racial bias accounted for 58% of the incidents statewide while biases related to sexuality or gender were found in 23% of cases.

The American Bar Association is collaborating with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) to once again mobilize lawyers to assist as poll workers in the upcoming November election. The Poll Worker Esq. Initiative encourages lawyers, law students and other legal professionals to assist in upcoming elections. The initiative kicked off today with the release of a video that details how to sign up to be a poll worker and a landing page where lawyers can sign up to volunteer. There will also be a social media campaign, which will run through the fall.