The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced last week in a press release that it had dismantled an MS-13 cell operating within Nashville. After a nine-month investigation, a series of court-authorized search warrants were conducted in the metropolitan Nashville area, resulting in the arrests of at least 17 members and associates of MS-13 across three states, including Tennessee, California and Oklahoma. In addition, investigators also seized bulk quantities of marijuana, counterfeit pills, cocaine, THC vapes, liquid psilocybin and multiple firearms, including assault rifles. DEA officials said the operation, carried out with local, state and federal partners, marked a significant step in efforts to disrupt MS-13’s drug trafficking and violent activities.

A Tennessee state legislative committee voted last week to remove references to women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans from the state's equal employment opportunity plan. Under the proposal, Tennessee will no longer formally track or publicly report on the demographics of individuals interviewed, hired or promoted to jobs in the executive branch of state government as of Oct. 7. According to Tennessee Lookout, the Joint Government Operations Committee also lifted a requirement for state agencies to specifically recruit, hire and promote underrepresented women and minorities. The rule change was necessary to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order ending affirmative action in government employment and recent state laws according to a deputy general counsel for the state’s Department of Human Resources. According to the paper, the state will continue to track employment of veterans and those with disabilities to comply with separate federal laws.

Rural hospital management company Java Medical Group has named former circuit court judge Craig Johnson as chief legal officer to oversee risk compliance, contract management, liability and risk for the Nashville-based company, the Nashville Post reports. Johnson brings more than 30 years of judicial and legal experience to the role. He previously served as circuit judge of the 14th Judicial District in Tennessee until his retirement in 2021. Johnson continues to hear cases as an ad hoc judge and also serves as attorney for the city of Manchester. Johnson earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee. “For the rural hospitals we serve, having access to experienced legal leadership is critical. The addition of Craig Johnson as chief legal officer gives our facilities a trusted advisor who understands the complexities of healthcare compliance and provider retention,” said Java CEO Bappa Mukherji.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate held steady last month at 3.6%, seven-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August was unchanged from the previous month. Tennessee’s unemployment rate continues to track well below the U.S. rate, which was 4.3% in August. Over the past year, Tennessee employers added 34,400 jobs, with the biggest gains in government, the professional and business services sector, and leisure and hospitality.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division, Belmont University College of Law and Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services are joining forces to offer a wills clinic on Oct. 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CDT at the Nashville Public Library's Southeast Branch, 5260 Hickory Hollow Pkwy #201, Antioch 37013. Volunteer attorneys will prepare simple wills, powers of attorney and advanced health care directives for clients. If you are interested in participating, please email YLD District 9 Representative Ginny Blake.

The TBA is accepting applications from candidates interested in the position of Education and Professional Development Coordinator. This position manages projects and logistics for continuing legal education (CLE) programs, section/committee meetings and special events. The role oversees communication, scheduling, vendor coordination, volunteer management, budgeting and follow-up to ensure programs run smoothly and meet member needs. To apply, send a cover letter explaining interest in the position and a resume by email to Director of Education and Professional Development Jennifer Vossler. Access the full job description here.

Gov. Bill Lee today appointed Judge Jim Todd to the 20th Judicial District Criminal Court, covering Davidson County. Todd currently serves as a judge in the Davidson County General Sessions Court. He will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Cheryl Blackburn. Todd earned his bachelor’s degree at Vanderbilt University and law degree at the University of Memphis. “I am proud to announce the appointment of Judge Todd to the 20th Judicial District Criminal Court. Jim brings significant experience to the bench, and I appreciate his leadership and willingness to serve Tennesseans with integrity,” Lee said according to the Nashville Post.

RONALD LEE GILMAN, Circuit Judge. An immigration judge (IJ) issued a removal order for Miriam Patricia Vargas-Rodriguez in 2009. In 2024, Vargas-Rodriguez filed her third motion to reopen. The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) denied the motion. For the reasons set forth below, we DENY Vargas-Rodriguez’s petition for review.

Petitioner, Richard E. Reed, appeals as of right from the Knox County Criminal Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, wherein he challenged convictions for possession with intent to sell 0.5 grams or more of cocaine in a drug-free school zone; possession with intent to deliver 0.5 grams or more of cocaine in a drug-free school zone; possession with intent to sell 0.5 grams or more of cocaine within a drug-free childcare zone; possession with intent to deliver 0.5 grams or more in a drug-free childcare zone; possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony; and unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, for which the trial court imposed an effective twenty-year sentence. On appeal, Petitioner asserts that he received ineffective assistance of appellate counsel for failure to include an offer-of-proof transcript in the appellate record; that the trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress; and that he was denied due process because he was not permitted to testify or call trial counsel as a witness at the post-conviction hearing. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Following a retrial, Defendant, William Eugene Moon, was convicted by a Coffee County jury of attempted second degree murder and employment of a firearm during the commission of or attempt to commit a dangerous felony and sentenced to an effective sixteen-year sentence to serve in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, Defendant asserts that the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions; that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of attempted voluntary manslaughter; that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to file a written request for the jury instruction before the jury began its deliberation; that the trial court erred by denying Defendant’s motion to suppress his statements; and that Defendant was denied a speedy trial. Having reviewed the entire record and the arguments of the parties, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.