A preliminary hearing has been set for Cleotha Henderson, the man charged with abducting and murdering Memphis jogger and school teacher Eliza Fletcher last month, the Daily Memphian reports. Henderson, who also goes by the surname Abston, will go before General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Louis Montesi on Nov. 16. He is represented by public defender Jennifer Case. Henderson is charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. If convicted, he could receive life imprisonment, life without parole or the death penalty.  

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) is seeking to hire a staff attorney for its rural office in Covington. The staff attorney will be responsible for providing legal services to qualified individuals and groups under MALS' guidelines and substantive priority areas. Two to five years of legal experience is preferred. See the job posting on the TBA’s JobLink site for details on how to apply or browse all available job openings.

Tennessee Rep. Ron Gant, R-Piperton, was last night involved in a vehicular collision in rural West Tennessee, the Daily Memphian reports. Gant was flown by helicopter to Memphis for treatment after he was struck head-on by another driver who police believe was impaired. That driver died in the crash. According to the Tennessee Journal, Gant was listed in stable condition this morning and was being prepped for surgery later in the day. Gant was elected to serve Fayette, McNairy and parts of Hardeman counties in 2016 and serves as the state House assistant majority leader.  

Ronald Sandlin of Millington pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting and impeding police for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Federal prosecutors say in a plea agreement they intend to seek a penalty range of 63 to 78 months at a Dec. 2 sentencing hearing. Sandlin, who was arrested three weeks after the attack, remains jailed. Court records filed in connection with the plea show that Sandlin conspired with two others to take the Capitol building by force. The trio suited up for the attack with guns, a knife, bear mace, a stun gun, protective gear and gas masks and captured their crimes on video. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Sandlin smoked marijuana inside the Capitol, stole a book from a Senate office and made plans to sell footage of the attack, Tennessee Lookout reports.

Leading medical organizations are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate a string of recent online attacks against hospitals and doctors that provide care to transgender minors. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the Children’s Hospital Association on Monday said the attacks have included allegations of child abuse as well as bomb threats and threats of personal violence, The Hill reports. The groups also are calling on social media companies to do more to prevent disinformation on their platforms and take “bolder action” when false information is shared.

A federal jury has found that Sullivan County teacher Jeremy McLaughlin was suspended for reasons other than his expletive-laced social media posts, rejecting McLaughlin’s claims he was targeted for the posts, Tennessee Lookout reports. McLaughlin was suspended for three days without pay in September 2020 after parents complained about posts made while off-duty. Before the trial, U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker ruled McLaughlin’s social media posts were protected speech under the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding the rights of a coach who prayed on the field after football games. That ruling put the burden on the school to prove McLaughlin was suspended for other reasons. The school argued it took the action because McLaughlin was encouraging people outside the school system to vote in what was supposed to be a survey of district teachers. The jury agreed.

More than two dozen people have died of overdoses behind bars in Tennessee this year with 12 happening at private prisons run by Brentwood-based CoreCivic. Lawsuits blame understaffing and easily available drugs, Nashville Public Radio reports. In one case, guards did not find the inmate’s body for hours, saying the lack of cell checks was because they were understaffed. Family members wonder if the overdose could have been reversed, had their loved one been found sooner. Last year, 49 people died of overdoses—nearly all of them from fentanyl—while incarcerated in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Supreme Court, with the support of legal professionals and jurists in the area, will hold its SCALES Project at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) on Dec. 6. The justices will hear two oral arguments in the school’s Martin Center for the Arts. High school students from the area are invited to participate. The SCALES project is designed to educate high school students about the judicial branch of government. SCALES, which stands for Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students, gives students a unique opportunity to hear oral arguments for an actual court case in their own region. The Washington County Bar Association announced the news.

The American Bar Association Section of Science & Technology Law will hold its 2022 AI and Robotics National Institute virtually next week on Monday and Tuesday. The event, now in its fourth year, will focus on key technical concepts in artificial intelligence and robotics including data protection, machine learning, the metaverse, AI best practices, intellectual property, AI and robotics ethical obligations, and legal and ethical issues around lab-grown brains. Learn more about the program or register here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order reinstating North Carolina lawyer Carlin Victoria Peterson to the practice of law in Tennessee. Peterson had been on inactive status since May 8, 2015. Peterson petitioned the court for reinstatement and the Board of Professional Responsibility reported that it found the petition satisfactory. The court made the reinstatement effective as of Sept. 15.