Five Tennessee cities have some of the highest rates of gun violence in the nation according to a new report from the nonprofit Community Justice. According to WPLN, the group’s 2025 Violence Prevention Index ranked Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville among the nation’s highest for gun violence but noted some progress in tackling contributing factors such as housing insecurity and lack of access to mental health resources. The report comes after the Trump administration cut $145 million in Department of Justice grants for community violence intervention programs. Memphis was the only Tennessee city to show major improvement since last year's assessment. The improvement was credited to a new Office of Neighborhood Safety and expanded victim services and school-based violence prevention programs.

Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, has won the Democratic nomination in the special primary for the state’s 7th Congressional District, defeating three other candidates in the district’s first four-way Democratic primary in decades, The Tennessean reports. Behn will face Republican nominee Matt Van Epps in the Dec. 2 general election. Van Epps, who defeated eight rivals for the Republican nomination, earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who held a tele-rally on the eve of the election calling Van Epps “very special” and “a true champion for the people of the Seventh District.” The winner in December will replace retired U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who stepped down in July.

Nashville attorney Raymond T. “Chip” Throckmorton III died Oct. 1 at age 60. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1988 and earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 1993. Throckmorton practiced law for more than 30 years and served as mayor of Oak Hill from 2002 to 2006. A memorial service will be held at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Nov. 1 at First Presbyterian Church of Nashville, 4815 Franklin Pike, Nashville 37220. Visitation will be held beforehand in Courtenay Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Despite a state law passed in 2021 prohibiting solitary confinement for longer than two consecutive hours in juvenile detention centers, reporting from MLK50 reveals that the Shelby County Youth and Justice Center has been holding teens as young as 13 in seclusion since 2023. Records show that the Memphis-Shelby County’s Juvenile Court has been aware that youth in one unit are separated from the general population and confined to their cells for most of the day since at least 2024. During the same time period, juvenile court magistrates incarcerated more youth at the center than the previous court administration, even as the number of youth charged with serious offenses declined. Meanwhile, inspection records show Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) has been aware that youth in one unit are separated from the general population since at least 2024.

The Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection on Oct. 7 paid a $2,040.78 claim filed against Roane County lawyer Christopher Shawn Roberts. The fund also directed Roberts to reimburse the fund. The fund was established by the Tennessee Supreme Court to reimburse individuals for losses caused by dishonest conduct by attorneys. The fund is operated by a board, which meets quarterly to consider claims. In September 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court amended Rule 25 to require the fund to notify the Tennessee Bar Association of claims paid. News releases also are posted online.

Millions of Americans, including more than 668,000 Tennesseans, could lose access to food assistance programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if a government shutdown continues. Axios reports that WIC could run out of funds within weeks, while SNAP benefits are only guaranteed through this month. Tennessee officials say WIC will continue operating for now as the state monitors the situation and awaits federal guidance.

Defendant, Nicholas S. Collins, was convicted by a Sullivan County jury of the following offenses: domestic assault, a Class A misdemeanor (count 2); assault, a Class A misdemeanor (count 3); and aggravated domestic assault, a Class C felony (count 5). He received an effective sentence of seven and one-half years’ incarceration. Defendant appeals, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions. Upon review of the entire record, the briefs and arguments of the parties, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

LARSEN, Circuit Judge. Corwin Jett pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Almost three years passed between his commission of the crime and his arrest. In the interim, he moved to Atlanta, got a job, and had no criminal encounters with the police. Yet, after his arrest in Michigan, Jett attempted to smuggle drugs into jail, sought drugs from other inmates, and was caught with drugs in his cell. The district court denied Jett an acceptance-of-responsibility reduction and denied his request for a downward variance. Jett argues that his sentence was procedurally unreasonable. For the reasons stated below, we AFFIRM.

The Defendant, Marcus Anthony Pearson, appeals the trial court’s denial of his motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court did not sufficiently set forth findings of fact and conclusions of law with regard to each argument raised in his Rule 36.1 motion. Additionally, the Defendant contends that his consecutive sentences are illegal because he was not resentenced in accordance with this court’s prior order, and as such, adequate Wilkerson findings were never made to support the imposition of consecutive sentences. Lastly, he claims the amended judgment forms were not entered in a timely fashion. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis has told city commissioners that roughly 700 to 900 federal law enforcement officers are currently in Memphis as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, with National Guard deployments expected by Friday. Davis said the Guard’s role will focus on visibility and deterrence rather than direct policing, and MPD is coordinating with federal analysts to identify gang activity. According to the Daily Memphian, Davis emphasized that federal assistance is long overdue but not a permanent solution to crime, and noted that both local and federal agencies are tracking overlapping enforcement data. Davis also highlighted falling crime rates — including a decline in homicides and aggravated assaults — and pointed to expanded downtown surveillance and new command centers as key safety improvements. The Commercial Appeal also reports on the developments.