An international advocacy group for scientists is calling on a federal judge in Knoxville "to ensure fairness" in what they say has been an overzealous prosecution of a former University of Tennessee professor and researcher Dr. Anming Hu, WBIR reports. The Committee of Concerned Scientists says the case, like other cases tried in recent years, stem from the failure of the government to clearly spell out rules related to foreign collaborations on unclassified research and the differences of these rules for different countries. Prosecutors tried Hu last spring but a jury could not agree on a verdict, leading District Court Judge Thomas Varlan to declare a mistrial. The government announced July 30 it intends to retry Hu.

The Tennessee Innocence Project will host a presentation on Aug. 31 at 5:30 p.m. CDT with exoneree and author Anthony Ray Hinton. Admission is free and open to the public. Hinton survived on Alabama’s death row for 30 years after being convicted of killing two fast-food restaurant managers. With the assistance of the Equal Justice Initiative, led by attorney Bryan Stevenson, Hinton was freed in 2015. Since his release, he has traveled the world sharing his story. In 2018, he published “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row,” which chronicles his journey. The event will take place at Montgomery Bell Academy’s Burkholder Wellness Center, 4001 Harding Pike, Nashville 37205. Read more from the Williamson Herald or RSVP here.

Columbia attorney Jake Hubbell has been selected to serve as Columbia’s interim city judge, the Columbia Daily Herald reports. He will replace Tom DuBois, who is retiring after more than 20 years in the role. Hubbell will serve as city judge pro tempore for the remainder of the year when a permanent replacement for the position will be selected by the city’s elected leaders. Hubbell previously served as judge pro tempore in Maury County General Sessions Court. He also is a past president of the Maury County Young Lawyers Division and TBA Young Lawyers Division Board, serving as chair of the Wills for Heroes Committee, which organized free legal clinics for first responders.

An investigator for the Shelby County prosecutor's office had an off-duty security job and might be a witness in the shooting of Alvin Motley Jr. at a Kroger gas station, the Commercial Appeal reports. District Attorney General Amy Weirich said Thursday that because of criminal investigator Joseph Hoing’s possible connection, her office was recusing itself from the case and seeking a special prosecutor to pursue charges against security guard Gregory Livingston, who is accused of shooting Motley. She also said Hoing has been put on leave for not disclosing the information sooner. Motley’s family have retained legal counsel and are calling for second-degree murder charges against Livingston. They are also calling on Kroger and its security company to start discussions about a civil settlement. Today, the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference appointed Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk as special prosecutor in the case.

Following settlement of the Sullivan Baby Doe case, the Nashville law firm of Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings says it is preparing to file lawsuits for about 40 more babies who were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) due to their mothers’ struggles with opioid addiction. “We haven’t started filing yet, but we will in the next month or two,” J. Gerard Stranch IV recently said. The firm won a $35 million settlement from Endo Pharmaceuticals on behalf of Sullivan Baby Doe using Tennessee’s Drug Dealer Liability Act. Two other companies that were targeted, Purdue Pharma and Mallinkcrodt Pharmaceuticals, declared bankruptcy during the case. Read more in the Herald Courier.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee today announced five judicial appointments and three reappointments to the state Board of Parole. Clarksville attorney Robert Bateman was named the new 19th Judicial District Circuit Court judge. He will fill a vacancy on the court effective immediately. Sean Day, an assistant public defender in the 29th Judicial District, was named the new public defender in the district. He will take office Sept. 1. Clarksville attorney Adrienne Fry was named the new 19th Judicial District Circuit Court judge. Her appointment will take effect immediately. Manchester attorney William Lockhart was named the new 14th Judicial District Circuit Court judge. He will fill a vacancy immediately. Jackson attorney Steve Maroney was named the new 26th Judicial District Chancery Court judge. He also takes over immediately. In addition, Gov. Lee reappointed three to the Board of Parole. They are: former Knox County appraiser Zane Duncan; Tim Gobble, a former interim deputy chief with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department; and Shelby County attorney Roberta Kustoff, who previously served as an attorney in the Shelby County Trustee’s Office.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has released additional details for the Aug. 27 portrait unveiling and memorial for the late Chief Judge Pamela L. Reeves, who died last September. The first part of the service will take place at 1:30 p.m. EDT at the Church Street United Methodist Church, 900 Henley St., Knoxville 37902. Judges Reeves’s family will unveil her portrait and former Gov. Bill Haslam will address the gathering. The Rev. Dr. Jan B. Wade and Rev. Dr. Harold Middlebrook will give an invocation and benediction and Noelle Harb Brundidge will sing “Amazing Grace.” Guests will then proceed to the courthouse courtyard to view a memorial garden, the creation of which was overseen by Chief Magistrate Judge Susan K. Lee and Magistrate Judges Debra C. Poplin and Cynthia R. Wyrick. A reception will follow in the courthouse rotunda entrance.

Chattanooga solo practioner Melody Shekari has announced her intention to run for city court judge. With seven years of experience as a lawyer, Shekari says she is ready to take on a new leadership role. She also cites her experience sitting as a special judge in Hamilton County. Shekari earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington and a law degree from the University of Southern California. She is an active member of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, serving this year as co-chair of the YLD Member Services Committee. Read her full statement.

A Hendersonville ordinance banning short-term or vacation rental properties in residential neighborhoods is unconstitutional according to senior judge Robert E. Lee Davies, who was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to hear the case. Davies was assigned the case in March after three Sumner County judges recused themselves, citing conflicts. In his ruling, Davies said the ordinance interferes with the fundamental right to the ownership and use of real property. Mayor Jamie Clary said the city plans to appeal the ruling, according to the Hendersonville Standard.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, is backing away from calls for the state legislature to overrule school districts that impose mask mandates, WPLN reports. In an interview with the station, Sexton said he does not want to interfere with local school boards making their own decisions but wants to make sure that parents have options for opting out of mandates. His comments came after House Republicans called for a special session to deal with a range of COVID related mandates.