In honor of Black History Month, the Tennessean is featuring profiles of 16 Black Americans who helped shape the arts, politics and culture of Nashville. Highlights include musician and early Grand Ole Opry star DeFord Bailey, surgeon Dorothy Lavinia Brown, attorney Z. Alexander Looby and attorney Avon N. Williams Jr., who became the first Black American elected to the state senate, where he served from 1968-1990. Read more from the Tennessean.

Francis M. Hamilton III, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, announced that his office collected $12,352,268 in fiscal year 2023. Of that amount, $3,130,283 was collected in criminal actions and $9,221,985 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the office, working with partner agencies, collected $1,610,245 in asset forfeiture actions, including $11,345 for victim compensation. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and other law enforcement purposes. Read more in a press release.

A wills clinic for first responders will be held at 9 a.m. CDT at the Brentwood Police Headquarters located at 910 Heritage Way, Brentwood, 37027 on March 30.  Volunteer attorneys and notaries are needed. Contact Charles Ferguson if you would like to volunteer.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti this week joined a 23-state coalition protesting the Biden administration and the Department of Energy’s temporary “pause” on the export of liquified natural gas (LNG). “The Administration’s LNG export pause is illegal and will hurt America’s national security,” Skrmetti said in a statement. The attorneys general also warned that the Department of Energy lacks authority to issue blanket denials for export permits without an act of Congress. The United States is the world’s largest producer of LNG, according to the group. Read the full letter.

Volunteer judges and scorers are needed for the District 7 competition being held on Feb. 17 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. CST at the Rutherford County Judicial Center. The center is located at 116 W. Lytle St., Murfreesboro 37130. Interested attorney volunteers can contact Morgan Hanna for more information. The District 14 competition is also in need of volunteers. That competition will be held Feb. 22-24 at the Judge D'Army Balley Courthouse, located at 140 Adams Ave., Memphis 38103. Please use this form to volunteer. A list of other district competitions and their coordinators can be found here.

The Nashville Bar Association has released the results of a member poll of applicants being considered to serve as Davidson County Fourth Circuit Court judge. Members were given the names of applicants who are being considered for the position as of Jan. 19, through an online survey ballot. The NBA reports that 292 responses were received by the deadline of Feb. 7. All results are reported as raw data with no attempt to extrapolate results. NBA President Bahar Azhdari explained why the poll is conducted saying, "Releasing our membership’s assessment of the candidates offers valuable insight to those casting their ballots and helps to ensure voters have the information necessary to make an informed choice.”

Three legal clinics will take place Saturday across the state. In Knoxville, Legal Aid of East Tennessee will hold a Faith and Justice Legal Advice Clinic from 9 a.m. to noon EST. In Nashville, the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold its McHugh Clinic from 9:30-11:30 a.m. CST. And in Memphis, the Memphis Bar Association will hold its second Saturday clinic at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library from 10 a.m. to noon CST.

The Smith County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners recently reached a settlement in a lawsuit that was filed last November. The suit alleged that the county violated the Open Meetings Act by not giving proper public notice of meetings and that certain commission members met and/or deliberated privately regarding county finances, reports the Smith County Insider. In a joint statement, the two parties said, "Throughout the process, it has been the Board of Education’s goal to be in a position to continue to provide outstanding educational opportunities to Smith County students. Likewise, the county commissioners sought to find a solution that allows county services to be delivered in a manner that creates the least burden on the taxpayer. The resolution of the issues provides a mechanism for both public bodies to 'have a seat at the table,' for the implementation of policies and procedures, and to move forward."

The Tennessee House of Representatives today passed a bill that requires the “safety of the community” be a magistrate’s first consideration in determining whether a defendant is released on bail. According to the Daily Memphian, the bill, HB1642/SB2562, sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, is one of several related to bail under consideration in the General Assembly this session. Present law requires a magistrate to consider several factors in determining bail in order to ensure the defendant’s appearance in court. Those factors include the amount of time they’ve lived in the community, their employment status and financial condition, the severity of the alleged offense and the probability of conviction. “All the other factors will still be considered by the judge or the magistrate, but it makes public safety the first factor,” Lamberth said Thursday. The bill passed by a vote of 80-13, with three abstaining. “The safety of the community is already the priority of the criminal justice system,” said Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville. State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, said that “instead of attacking bail, we need to address the root causes of the problems, such as poverty, the lack of opportunity, gun violence."

ALICE M. BATCHELDER, Circuit Judge. Robert Whipple appeals the denial of his motions to suppress evidence. Whipple argued that law enforcement violated his Fourth Amendment rights when officers subpoenaed Walmart for his purchase history, searched his phone after the expiration of the warrant for his phone, and impermissibly seized his car. The district court denied Whipple’s motions. Finding no merit to these claims, we AFFIRM.