Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the "Dismantling DEI Departments Act" into law. The legislation bans all state and local government entities, including public colleges and universities, from promoting or requiring DEI policies, programs or offices. The law immediately voids all existing DEI-related mandates and initiatives within government institutions. Read more on Lee's decision from Local 3 News.

Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday signed into law legislation aimed at combating AI-generated child pornography, according to Local Memphis.com. The law criminalizes the possession, distribution or production of software or technology designed to create AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Penalties include a Class E felony for possession, a Class C felony for distribution and a Class B felony for production. Lawmakers said the measure is intended to address the misuse of artificial intelligence and protect minors from exploitation, while equipping law enforcement with tools to address the growing threat. The law takes effect July 1.

On September 21, 2021, Detectives Dustin Tidwell and Justin Miller of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department went in plain clothes to Auto Market, a used car dealership, to serve a subpoena. While they were standing outside the dealership, a car emitting “the obvious odor of marijuana” pulled into the parking lot. R. 172, Trial Tr., PageID 950. The car passed within fifteen to twenty feet of the detectives and parked four or five spaces away from them. When the driver opened his car door to exit, the smell of marijuana grew stronger. No one else was in the car. The officers later identified the driver as Edwin Santiago. As Santiago entered the Auto Market, the detectives saw a pistol on his waistband. Though open carry is legal in Tennessee, possessing a firearm while under the influence of marijuana is not. The detectives suspected Santiago of possessing the firearm while under the influence and decided to detain him once he exited the store. They put on police vests and turned on their body cameras in preparation for the encounter. The bodycam footage reveals the following: After Santiago left the store, the detectives approached him, and Miller instructed him to keep his hands up. Miller then began to handcuff Santiago, while Santiago repeatedly asked, “What’s going on?” R. 26-1, Detective Tidwell’s Bodycam Footage, 00:30–00:50. Tidwell responded, “It reeks of weed, you just pulled up here, okay? It reeks of weed. . . . [Y]ou’ve got a gun on your hip, man.” Id. at 00:43–00:50. Miller, meanwhile, pulled the pistol out of Santiago’s waistband. At this point, Santiago denied ownership of the pistol and shifted his body slightly; Miller grabbed his arm and yelled, “Stop!” Id. at 00:48–00:51. The officers then handcuffed Santiago. Trial testimony revealed that, after handcuffing Santiago, Miller patted him down, took Santiago’s wallet out of his pocket, and retrieved Santiago’s ID. A background check disclosed that Santiago was a felon. So Miller formally placed him under arrest. A grand jury indicted Santiago on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Santiago moved to suppress all the evidence acquired on September 21, arguing that his detention, arrest, and search were unconstitutional. The district court held a suppression hearing, where Detectives Tidwell and Miller testified to the facts recounted above. The manager of the Auto Market, who witnessed the arrest, also testified that he smelled an odor like marijuana around Santiago and his car. The court noted that possessing marijuana is a crime in Tennessee, and it explained that it found the detectives’ testimony about the smell of marijuana credible. That odor, which the officers localized to Santiago alone, gave the officers reasonable suspicion for the stop and probable cause for the arrest. So the court concluded that the warrantless arrest, and the search incident to it, were constitutional. The court denied Santiago’s motion to suppress. Santiago, although represented by counsel during the suppression hearing, proceeded to trial pro se. A jury convicted him. The district court sentenced Santiago to 56 months’ imprisonment. Santiago now appeals through counsel.

KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judge. The plaintiffs appeal the district court’s judgment in favor of the defendants as to their claims that GM and Bosch misled consumers regarding the emissions generated by certain Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. We affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

The Defendant, James Brent Wall, pled guilty to the sale of a controlled substance and two counts of TennCare fraud. The trial court imposed an effective six-year sentence, which it suspended to probation. The State later alleged that the Defendant violated the conditions of his probation by refusing to submit to drug screening, failing to pay restitution, and absconding from supervision. Following a hearing, the trial court revoked the suspended sentences and ordered the Defendant to serve the remainder of his sentences in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revoke his probation because the court clerk retired the case, recalled the violation warrants, and issued an alias capias. Upon our review, we agree. Accordingly, we respectfully reverse the trial court’s judgment and remand the case with instructions to dismiss the proceedings.

A Monroe County jury found the Defendant, Russell Matthew Morgan, guilty of solicitation of a minor to commit aggravated statutory rape and solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means. On appeal, the Defendant raises three issues: (1) whether the evidence is legally insufficient to support his conviction for solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means; (2) whether Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-528 prohibits solicitation of a minor to commit aggravated statutory rape; and (3) whether the trial court erred in admitting hearsay testimony. Upon our review, we respectfully affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Defendant, Christopher Kenn Baker, pleaded guilty to solicitation of a minor to commit aggravated statutory rape for which he received a sentence of two years’ confinement. On appeal, Defendant argues the trial court erred in denying judicial diversion. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Plaintiffs in this case, who live in the Dominican Republic, were allegedly injured by toxic herbicides used in the sugar cane industry. Following the Plaintiffs’ filing of a lawsuit against the Defendant, a Tennessee corporation, pursuant to the Tennessee Products Liability Act, the Defendant moved to dismiss the case on several grounds. Although the trial court rejected the viability of a number of these defenses asserted by the Defendant at the motion to dismiss stage, the trial court concluded that the case should be dismissed on the basis that “the TPLA does not have extraterritorial application.” The trial court also opined that, “even if a case were to proceed in Tennessee, the applicable law would be the law of the Dominican Republic” but noted that the Plaintiffs “have only set forth a specific claim under the TPLA.” For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the trial court’s dismissal of the case.

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that a group of Venezuelans deported to a Salvadoran prison under the Alien Enemies Act must be given a legal avenue to contest the Trump administration’s accusations that they are gang members, according to The Hill. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg did not specify the steps the administration must take but said it violated due process rights by failing to allow the migrants to challenge their removal before being sent to CECOT, a high-security Salvadoran prison. The Trump administration has argued it lacks the ability to secure the return of anyone held at the facility, and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has said he will not return individuals sent there under regular immigration authorities. While Boasberg acknowledged the administration may have lawfully invoked the rarely used Alien Enemies Act — as another judge has ruled — he emphasized that the deportees were denied basic legal protections and cited evidence suggesting many have no gang affiliation. He gave the administration one week to propose a compliance plan.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy are exploring plans for a limited local crime lab that could be housed within the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center. Harris and Mulroy presented the proposal on Wednesday to the Shelby County Commission’s Budget Subcommittee at an estimated annual cost of $5.5 million. According to the Daily Memphian, the lab would focus on ballistics, digital device analysis and rapid DNA testing. Harris said the county is well-positioned to expand forensic capacity, while Mulroy emphasized that the lab would complement and not compete with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's existing services. According to the paper, the lab could take more than a year to fully implement, with initial steps focused on hiring a planning team and determining interagency coordination.