September 16, 2024 - September 20, 2024.

The U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) has updated its guidelines for federal prosecutors for evaluating corporate compliance programs to include questions about a company's use of artificial intelligence (AI). The new criteria aim to ensure that companies are taking appropriate steps to mitigate the risks associated with AI-facilitated crimes. Prosecutors now should consider factors such as the extent of human involvement in AI decision-making, risk assessments, and employee training on AI technologies, according to Bloomberg Law. The update follows a February directive from U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, which calls for stricter penalties for criminals using AI to advance their misconduct. On a state level, the TBA’s AI Task Force is working to explore the intersection of AI and the legal profession to ensure that attorneys are well-equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of AI technology to promote advancement of the profession.

Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn's office held an expungement clinic to help individuals with criminal records start over. The clinic provided free consultations to help people determine if they were eligible to have certain nonviolent misdemeanors or felonies removed from their records. Over 100 people attended the clinic, which was the 25th of its kind since Kuhn took office in 2018. The office has helped expunge records for more than 9,000 people since 2018, according to the Daily Memphian.

Jaquan Bridges of Memphis recently was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possessing a machine gun. The sentence comes after Bridges was found guilty of firing at a Shelby County Sheriff's deputy during a high-speed chase in 2022. Bridges pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2024. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. In 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on the core principles of fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results. Read more about the case in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

John Richard "Dick" Lodge, lobbyist and former chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP), died Sept. 20 at the age of 75. Born in Sewanee to the family known for their cast iron skillet business, Lodge graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1974 and worked for the attorney general’s office before joining the senate campaign of Jim Sasser, who died earlier this month. After Sasser's win, Lodge served in Washington, D.C., as his legislative director. Lodge later returned to Nashville to become a partner at Bass, Berry & Sims and ran the firm’s government relations operations for years. As chair of the TNDP from 1983-1988, Lodge was part of the committee that created Super Tuesday. Nashville mayor Phil Bredesen, a close ally, also tapped him to be the first chair of the Metropolitan Sports Authority. Services will take place this week at Christ Church Cathedral, 900 Broadway, Nashville 37203. Visitation be from 3-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday with funeral services at 3 p.m. CDT on Thursday. Memorial donations may be made to Abe’s Garden Community, the Center for Contemplative Justice or Christ Church Cathedral.

The TBA Family Law Section will host a webcast on Oct. 14 on how to use artificial intelligence (AI) in a trial practice. The one-hour program will run from noon to 1 p.m. CDT and explore practical applications of AI tools in a family law trial practice, from pre-trial preparation to courtroom presentation. One hour of dual credit is available. Learn more or register online.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that the state will not challenge a court ruling allowing a gun referendum to appear on Memphis' Nov. 5 ballot, the Daily Memphian reports. A Shelby County chancellor ruled on Sept. 11 that three gun safety measures, including restrictions on carrying handguns without a valid permit, could go before voters.  Skrmetti expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the referendum, stating, "These ballot questions are a fraud on the voters of Memphis," but said the state would respect the court's ruling and not file an emergency appeal. Memphis city council members previously had filed suit against the Shelby County Election Commission to secure the referendum's place on the ballot.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Tennessee's law prohibiting adults from assisting minors in obtaining an abortion without parental consent, citing First Amendment concerns and the law's vagueness. The Associated Press reports that U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger ruled Friday that the state cannot criminalize free communication about legal abortion options, stating that the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment “is a protection available to everyone.” The law, which took effect July 1, penalizes adults for "recruiting, harboring or transporting" minors for an abortion. The law was challenged by state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, and Nashville attorney Rachel Welty.

Tennessee lawmakers will revisit wetland protection regulations in a summer study session next week. The original bill, proposed by state Rep. Kevin Vaughn, R-Collierville, sought to reduce state oversight on nearly half a million acres of wetlands and give developers and landowners a break from needing state permission to build on or fill in low-quality wetlands and up to four acres of “moderate” quality wetlands, according to Moore County News. Vaughn's legislation focused on isolated wetlands, those with no direct connection to rivers or lakes, which comprise nearly half of Tennessee's wetlands. In the months since the bill was sent to a study committee, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has held meetings with builders, environmental groups, lawmakers and state agencies in an effort to achieve consensus on how to regulate wetlands. Last week, the department issued a report recommending a number of changes.

A Missouri woman charged in an attempted Graceland foreclosure scheme will remain in custody after she waived her right to a detention hearing, the Commercial Appeal reports. Lisa Jeanine Findley waived the hearing during a court appearance in Memphis on Friday before U.S. District Court Judge Annie T. Christoff. Findley was arrested on charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft related to an alleged scheme to foreclose on Elvis Presley's estate Graceland. She previously pleaded "not guilty" to the charges. Prosecutors allege that Findley created a fake lending company, Naussany Investments, and used forged documents to claim Lisa Marie Presley took out a loan on the property that went unpaid. The paper also reports that Findley previous served sentences for other fraud-related offenses.