As people increasingly turn to artificial intelligence (AI) for advice, some lawyers are telling their clients not to treat AI chatbots like trusted confidants, while others are advising clients on how to decrease the chances that AI chats wind up in court. Two recent rulings show there is no judicial standard yet, Reuters reports. In one decision, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in New York ruled that a target of a criminal investigation had to provide his AI chats to prosecutors. By contrast, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Patti in Michigan said a woman representing herself in a lawsuit brought against her former company did not have to hand over chats about her claims. Patti said those communications constituted "work-product" for the case, rather than conversations the employer could use for its defense.

The state House has passed legislation allowing the Tennessee attorney general (AG) to audit and possibly replace the Shelby County district attorney (DA). The News Herald reports that HB0483/SB0443 gives the AG authority to review how cases are handled, including pretrial release conditions, bail requirements and use of grant money. The AG also is authorized to ask the Tennessee Supreme Court to appoint a replacement if an audit finds the DA declined to prosecute criminal offenses. The state Senate passed the bill today with two amendments. First, it changed the audit to a study, but allowed the AG to request an audit by the state Comptroller's Office if needed. Second, it voted to limit the study to cases from the Memphis Safe Task Force. DA Steve Mulroy has criticized the proposal saying, “The bill targets Shelby County only for unprecedented, intrusive oversight of a locally elected DA by an unelected attorney general, without providing any basis for treating Shelby County differently … The provision allowing the attorney general to seek a temporary replacement of a DA largely repeats language already in Tennessee law and is therefore unnecessary; to the extent it goes further, it is likely unconstitutional.”

Tennessee will expand its universal voucher program to 35,000 students next school year after the Senate approved HB2532/SB2247 by a vote of 18-14. The bill now goes to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. The Senate initially sought to expand the program to 40,000, but agreed to move forward with the House number. The legislation also includes a requirement that public schools collect student Social Security numbers to maintain their “hold harmless” funding over the next several years. The “hold harmless” language was included in the original voucher legislation to maintain public school funding if local districts lose students. In future years, the measure will require collection of more household income data on families and tracking how many new vouchers go to public school students. The Daily Memphian has a story from Chalkbeat.

The Board of Judicial Conduct has suspended Madison County General Sessions Judge Mark Patey due to “mental health issues.” According to a letter dated April 15, board chair Chancellor Jeffrey Atherton writes that that the board has received information that Patey is “suffering from mental health issues that substantially interfere with the prompt, orderly, and efficient performance” of duties. Therefore, the board “has determined that the public interest and proper administration of justice warrants suspending Judge Patey's judicial authority, effective immediately, until further orders …”. The move comes after Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins assigned four judges to preside over civil and criminal cases in Patey’s court on April 1. WBBJ reached out to Patey on April 2 and has his response in this article.

A jury on Wednesday found Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary guilty of maintaining an illegal monopoly over major concert venues, following a lawsuit brought by dozens of states, including Tennessee. The Associated Press reports that the verdict could cost the companies hundreds of millions of dollars, as jurors determined customers were overcharged by $1.72 per ticket across 22 states. While Live Nation vowed to appeal and downplayed the financial impact, state attorneys general celebrated the ruling as a potential path to lower ticket prices for consumers. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued a statement, saying, “Thanks to a relentless bipartisan coalition of states, [the companies are] finally being held accountable.” A separate penalty phase will determine whether the company must divest assets such as concert venues. The states decided to continue the suit after the U.S. Department of Justice settled with Live Nation and withdrew from the case in March.

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The Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) recently held a Community Volunteer Day to support the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County. Members gathered at the center to launch a stuffed animal and snack donation drive and learn more about the non-profit’s mission during a facility tour. The center provides a safe, child-friendly environment for children who have experienced severe abuse. Through a multidisciplinary, trauma-informed approach, children receive coordinated care and support in a single location. Read more and see a photo of the event.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated Washington, D.C., lawyer Marshall Dalton Collins to inactive status. The court reports that Collins filed a petition for reinstatement and paid the required reinstatement fee and all delinquent annual inactive registration fees, and the Board of Professional Responsibility found the petition to be satisfactory. Collins was reinstated to inactive status effective April 8. The court issued its order on April 15.

A story in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today announced a federal tax deadline extension for residents of Middle Tennessee counties impacted by this past winter’s storms. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) now has extended that deadline to June 8 and expanded eligibility to all counties in the state. The extension provides additional time for individuals, households and businesses to file their 2025 returns and make any required payments. Read more in the updated news release from the agency.

Justin Deshun Stiger, 33, of Memphis was convicted this week of making threats to murder two Memphis federal prosecutors and a Memphis federal judge after a jury trial in Memphis, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. The middle district office handled the case because the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District was recused given that two of its prosecutors were victims. Evidence presented at trial showed that Stiger — who was in court to be sentenced for participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy —pointed to prosecutors and said they were “going to die.” When then U.S. District Judge Mark Norris had Stiger removed from the courtroom, Stiger threatened him saying “You’re gonna die too, judge.” When Norris asked if Stiger was threatening him, Stiger responded: “It ain’t no threat. It’s a promise.” Stiger faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for each of the three counts of conviction. He is set to be sentenced on June 18.