A retirement celebration and portrait unveiling will be held Wednesday for Anderson County Circuit and Criminal Court Judge Donald Elledge. The event will take place at noon EDT in the circuit courtroom of the Anderson County Courthouse, 100 N. Main St., Clinton 37716. All are invited to attend and lunch will be provided. Judge Elledge has served on the bench since 2005 and was instrumental in establishing the county’s Drug Court Program. He served as president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference in 2019. Prior to taking the bench, he was in private practice. Read more about his career from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a pair of bills yesterday that would dramatically expand video coverage of federal court trials and other proceedings while putting Supreme Court arguments on camera for the first time, Politico reports. It’s the first time such legislation has cleared the committee in more than a decade. Both bills have bipartisan support though some committee members expressed concern that cameras would lead to “showboating” by lawyers and justices. The federal Administrative Office of the Courts also opposes the congressional effort, saying a rules change should go through its process for notice and comment.

Above the Law (ATL) has released its 2021 rankings of the top 50 law schools in the country based on employment outcomes. The authors say it is the only ranking to incorporate the latest ABA employment data for the class of 2020. Two Tennessee schools made this year’s list. Vanderbilt University Law School came in at number 15, down from 11th place in 2020, while the University of Tennessee College of Law came in at number 39, up two places from last year. Get the full rankings and methodology here.

The Shelby County School Board has ended its partnership with the district attorney’s office on a truancy prevention program, WREG reports. District Attorney Amy Weirich said the news was unexpected and sad. The program started in 2007 and had grown to 30 schools. The DA’s office paired students with mentors and offered rewards to those with good attendance. It also offered resources to parents of truant children, instead of charging them with a crime or sending children to juvenile court. School Superintendent Joris Ray said the program was terminated partly because it did not comply with state law.

The Biden administration has asked Congress to provide $600 million for the Legal Services Corporate (LSC) in fiscal year 2022 — the largest budget request ever put forward. According to officials, the request responds to a surge in demand for civil legal services caused by COVID-19’s impact on low-income communities as well as the continuing lack of resources to provide assistance to all Americans eligible for services. The agency also recently announced a new strategic plan outlining goals and initiatives for the next four years. 

Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston has joined an investigation into allegations of illegal activities involving The Baptiste Group at a group home in Chattanooga, Chattanoogan.com reports. The Baptiste Group has been in the news as a location being used to house migrant children that have been transported to Tennessee from the Southwest border. As this is an active investigation, Pinkston made no other comments except to say his office “will vigorously prosecute any state crimes that are uncovered by the investigation.

The Davidson County Election Commission voted along party lines today to appeal a Nashville chancellor’s order canceling a planned July referendum election related to the city’s taxing authority, the Nashville Post reports. The commission cancelled the planned July 27 election given the time frame for an appeal and set a conditional date in September for a new election if it prevails. Lawyers for the commission said they would look into asking the Tennessee Supreme Court to take up the case instead of going to the appeals court in an effort to expedite the matter. Earlier this week, Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins canceled the referendum saying the petition calling for the election was invalid.

Gov. Bill Lee today signed a new bill into law that will allow victims of violent crimes to seek orders of protection that last their lifetime, WVLT reports. Current laws require victims to go in front of a judge every year to renew orders of protection. The new law also stipulates that if a protection order is not followed, the suspect will have one additional year in prison for each violation. The law will take effect on July 1.

The Biden administration yesterday extended the national COVID-19 residential eviction moratorium until July 31, the AP reports. Officials said the move was intended to be the final extension. The administration also issued guidance for states and local governments to streamline distribution of emergency rental assistance funding and the Justice Department asked state courts to pursue eviction alternatives. There are at least six lawsuits challenging the authority of the ban. So far, three judges have sided with the ban and three have ruled against. All cases are currently in the appeal process.

Bryan Wayne Ivey of Crossville pleaded guilty this week to a minor protesting charge related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the Tennessean reports. He admitted to knowingly entering restricted areas of the Capitol and agreed to pay $500 in restitution. Additional fines or prison time may be imposed at a Sept. 28 sentencing hearing. The charge carries up to six months in prison, a fine of up to $5,000 and/or probation for up to one year. Ivey was arrested on March 4 on four charges. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement. At least 15 people with Tennessee ties have been charged in connection to the riot. In related news, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced this week that she will launch a select committee to probe the events of that day. Last month, the U.S. Senate fell a few votes short to move forward on legislation to establish an independent commission to investigate the attack. The Hill reports on that story.