Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle today ruled that the state Registry of Election Finance violated Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act with a secret email vote in early April approving a civil penalty settlement with state Rep. Joe Towns, the Daily Memphian reports. Lyle denied the request from the Attorney General’s Office to dismiss the case, ruling that while the Registry “cured” its violation by voting on the matter in a public meeting held in July, that action did not make the lawsuit moot.  The lawsuit was filed in April by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which claimed that state law required the board to file notice in advance of the meeting and to hold the vote in public. The Attorney General’s Office argued that the email vote taken was “incidental” and not an official meeting by the Registry, thus did not violate the Open Meetings Act. Lyle disagreed, finding that the Registry made a “consequential decision” that qualified as a meeting. She opted against monitoring the Registry but said its action would be considered on a case-by-case basis. She ruled the reporters’ group would recover its costs.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of the Department of Commerce & Insurance, today announced it has joined the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and 29 other states to file a complaint alleging Metals.com has been running a fraudulent precious metals scheme that has solicited more than $185 million from seniors and other investors across the United States.  According to the complaint, Metals.com is accused of targeting elderly investors through traditional and social media, providing unregistered investment advisory services designed to “instill fear in elderly and retirement-aged investors and build trust with investors based on representations of political or religious affinity.” Read the full complaint and statutory restraining order here.

Attorney General Herbert Slatery has joined a coalition of 31 states in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit to support states’ authority to enforce price gouging regulations that protect consumers during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The coalition is asking the appellate court to overturn the district court’s preliminary injunction that prevented Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron from enforcing price gouging regulations against retailers selling products on Amazon. In its filing, the coalition emphasizes how important state price gouging laws are in ensuring that essential items are fairly allocated among residents. Read the full release from the AG’s office.

Gov. Bill Lee’s office is now accepting applications to fill the public defender post for the 26th Judicial District until the next biennial election takes place in August 2022. The vacancy is due to the retirement of George Googe, effective Jan. 1. The 26th Judicial District covers Madison, Henderson and Chester counties. Interested attorneys should mail a resume and cover letter to Lang Wiseman, Deputy & Chief Counsel of the Governor, State Capitol, First Floor, 600 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Nashville, 37243 or email to rebecca.kaunisto@tn.gov by 5 p.m. CDT on Oct. 9.

The Raybin Tennessee Supreme Court Hot List analyzes cases that have recently been granted review by the state Supreme Court. Three new cases were posted to the hot list this week on the issues of res judicata, juvenile life sentences and parental right termination.

Attorney John Brendan Russell of Brentwood died June 23 at 57. Russell had a successful career in commercial real estate until 2003 when he decided to pursue his lifelong dream of songwriting in Nashville, where he released several CDs, performing as “JR and the Roadkill Choir.” Russell went on to earn his law degree from Nashville School of Law in 2014 and afterward opened Russell Real Estate Law. Donations are being received in John’s honor by the Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) and the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) have launched a new tool to help individuals navigate the workers’ compensation process, WGNS reports. The new tool, “WC Bot,” provides document filing assistance for self-represented workers who have experienced on-the-job injuries. “WC Bot,” along with many other legal and social service resources, is available to the public online at HELP4TN. “Fairness and equal justice under the law are core values in our legal system," said Ann Pruitt, TALS’ Executive Director. "This collaborative project is an example of how we can use technology to help level the playing field for self-represented litigants.” The project is funded by a Tennessee Legal Initiatives Fund Grant from the Tennessee Bar Foundation.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently launched the agency’s first pro bono program, Generating Justice, to provide free legal assistance to low-income individuals in need. TVA attorney Kendra Mansur chairs the program, which partners with several legal aid organizations and law firms to address community legal needs through virtual clinics and online portals, such as ABA Free Legal Answers. “Attorneys and other professionals in TVA’s Office of the General Counsel have the skills that can help fill the gap to help our neighbors in need of legal services,” Mansur noted.

District Attorney Jody Pickens was honored last weekend by the Tennessee Constables Association, the Jackson Sun reports. Pickens, who serves Chester, Henderson and Madison counties, was named District Attorney of the Year at the association’s annual convention. It was the first time the association has held its annual convention in West Tennessee. In accepting the award, Pickens said he was humbled by the selection and said the group is an “important part of the judicial process ... in Madison County.”

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Vice President and Dean Matt Lyon today announced Knoxville attorney Maha Ayesh has been appointed director of experiential learning and assistant professor of law. In her new position, Ayesh will oversee LMU Law’s externship program and help further develop the school’s experiential learning course offerings, designed to build students’ transactional and litigation skills. Prior to joining LMU Law, Ayesh practiced in employment and civil rights litigation at Jennifer Morton Law. Ayesh was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 2011, through which she worked and researched in the field of human trafficking and the rights of migrant domestic workers in Amman, Jordan. “One of the things that impresses me the most about LMU Law is its focus on producing practice-ready graduates who want to change their world for the better,” Ayesh said.