The Beacon Center of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit in federal court that seeks to repeal a sweeping ban on data centers and cryptocurrency mines that was enacted by Hawkins County late last year. The Beacon Center is representing ExoticRidge, a Kentucky-based cryptocurrency mining company which wants to build an eight megawatt bitcoin mine adjacent to a fractionation plant in the farming community of Bulls Gap, WPLN reports. People who live nearby say they do not want a bitcoin mine next door, fearing the potential for noise pollution and increased energy rates, which led the Hawkins County Commission in September 2025 to pass a resolution banning data center development. The Beacon Center’s complaint alleges Hawkins County has violated the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution and alleges the county discriminated against ExoticRidge based solely on their industry. Crypto mines are a type of data center, which is a group of computers that operate 24/7 to run algorithms, solve equations or store data for internet access.

A Knoxville man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, alleging he was wrongly arrested and jailed for three days after deputies failed to verify his identity. According to Knox News, Justin Clark was taken into custody in March 2025 on a warrant for another man with the same name, despite differences in middle name, birth date and Social Security number. He also alleges he was without medication for a kidney disease for those days. When jail staff learned of their error Clark was released March 19 and he learned he had lost his job. Clark is suing for false arrest, false imprisonment and violations of his constitutionally guaranteed Fourth and 14th Amendment violations, and is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages. The lawsuit, originally filed in Knox County Circuit Court in March, was transferred to U.S. District Court last week.

Belmont University has named Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Law Deborah R. Farringer as its next dean of the College of Law, making her the first woman to lead the school, with her appointment effective Aug. 1. Farringer, who joined the faculty in 2013 and has overseen curriculum planning, faculty development and student success initiatives since 2021, succeeds Dean Alberto Gonzales, who has led the law school since 2014. Before entering academia, Farringer practiced health care and regulatory law at Bass, Berry & Sims and served in legal roles at Vanderbilt University, in addition to completing a federal appellate clerkship. According to a press release from the law school, university leaders cited her academic leadership and institutional knowledge as key to continuing the law school’s growth, which has included top bar passage rates and strong employment outcomes for graduates. “I am honored to serve as dean of the Belmont University College of Law,” Farringer said. “Belmont Law has built a strong record of student success and national credibility while remaining grounded in its mission to instill the highest standards of personal and professional conduct. I am grateful to Dean Gonzales for his leadership and look forward to working with our faculty, students, alumni and partners to build on this momentum and lead Belmont Law into its next chapter.”

A new study finds that Nashville’s Eviction Right to Counsel program has delivered significant economic and social benefits, helping hundreds of residents avoid homelessness while generating a positive return on public investment, the Tennessean reports. The program, launched by the Metro Council as a pilot in 2022, provided $2.32 in fiscal impact for every $1 spent on legal representation in 2025, according to the report. The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association, which administer the program, spent about $1.8 million last year, resulting in an estimated $4.3 million in benefits to Davidson County. Researchers found the program helped approximately 429 people avoid homelessness, reduced crime and job loss linked to housing instability, and allowed clients to achieve a median financial benefit of $7,800.

Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have filed a motion to test DNA evidence they say was not previously examined in the case of Tony Carruthers, a Shelby County man scheduled to be executed next month, the Commercial Appeal reports. Carruthers, who has been on death row since his 1996 conviction in the killings of Marcellos Anderson, Delois Anderson and Frederick Tucker, was largely tied to the crime through witness statements rather than physical evidence, according to court records. The ACLU said untested DNA evidence does not match Carruthers and has not been compared to another potential suspect. The organization is urging testing before the execution, calling it an "irreversible punishment." Carruthers, who represented himself at trial amid documented mental health concerns, also has a separate competency claim pending, while a prior motion to test fingerprints from the crime scene remains unresolved.

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is hosting a free legal clinic for artists May 6 at the Country Music Association. The clinic offers 30-minute consultations with volunteer attorneys for income-qualified creatives across Tennessee. A tax lawyer from the Legal Aid Society’s Tennessee Taxpayer Project will also be on-site to answer questions related to federal income tax problems. Volunteer attorneys can expect questions on contracts and licensing, copyright concerns, business formation and nonprofit governance. Email vlpa@abcnashville.org for more information or to volunteer.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division, together with the United Way, Legal Services Corporation and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, will be holding a resource clinic on April 20 from 2-4 p.m. CDT at the Juvenile Court of Metropolitan Nashville at 100 Woodland St. The clinic is only open to families in juvenile recovery court. Attorney volunteers are needed to help identify solutions for public benefits eligibility, housing and consumer issues as well as to provide guidance in rebuilding a life after incarceration. For more information and to volunteer, contact Princess Rogers. View a flyer for more information.

The defendant, Blake Shemar Swann, appeals the order of the trial court revoking his probation and ordering him to serve his six-year sentence in confinement. Upon our review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we dismiss the appeal as untimely.

A Davidson County jury convicted the Defendant, Jacque Bouvier Bennett, of aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, and assault by offensive touching. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to an effective fifty-year sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant asserts that: (1) the trial court erred when it found the victim competent to testify; (2) the trial court erred when it allowed the victim’s mother to be present during the victim’s testimony; (3) the trial court erred in admitting the victim’s forensic interview; (4) the victim failed to identify the Defendant at trial; and (5) the cumulative effect of these errors undermined the Defendant’s right to a fair trial. After review, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

The parties entered into an agreement in which the defendant provided funds and the plaintiff used those funds to trade stocks. At one point, the defendant agreed to make a $50,000 loan to the plaintiff so that the trading could continue. The agreement was evidenced by a promissory note in which the plaintiff agreed to repay the loan and to share any losses incurred. The loan was secured by a deed of trust executed on the plaintiff’s residence. Subsequently, the parties lost approximately $210,342. The plaintiff then filed a declaratory judgment action in which he claimed that the deed of trust was void because the loan funds had never been disbursed. The defendant filed an answer and counterclaim alleging that the plaintiff owed him the balance of the loan plus interest. He also sought reimbursement for a portion of the losses that the parties had incurred. The chancery court determined that the defendant had never disbursed the loan funds. Accordingly, it held that the deed of trust and the portion of the promissory note which required repayment of the loan balance were void due to a lack of consideration. However, the chancery court also held that the portion of the promissory note in which the plaintiff agreed to share losses was effective and left the defendant entitled to damages. The plaintiff appeals. We affirm.