After exhausting “all available investigative avenues,” the Metro Nashville Police Department says it is unable to identify who leaked images of The Covenant School shooter’s writings to a radio host. The police, however, say that the images did not come from a current department employee or employees of the any partner agency, and that employees placed on administrative assignment during the investigation have since returned to their regular duties. A former detective had access to the images but is no longer with the department and police officials say they do not have the ability to compel statements or cooperation from former employees. The case file documenting the investigation will be presented to Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk’s Office for review, according to the Associated Press.

Severe weather impacted 11 Tennessee counties, with reports of 13 tornadoes on Saturday night. Six people died in Clarksville and Madison and 83 injured patients were rushed to area hospitals in the aftermath of what is likely the deadliest December for Middle Tennessee tornadoes on record, according to the Tennessean. Gov. Bill Lee and affected counties have issued state of emergency declarations and the Tennessee legal services community is prepared to provide assistance to those affected. The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services' website Help4TN is always available with legal information and resources, and individuals with disaster related legal questions may call 844-HELP4TN and ask to speak with the expert disaster resilience attorney Nick Gau. Regional legal aid programs are planning clinics and other services in the coming days. More information, including a link for attorneys to volunteer to help is available on the TBA website. 

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is joining 26 other state attorneys general and the Arizona state legislature in a letter asking the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to drop a proposed rule they argue violates the Second Amendment. The group writes that the rule risks making any individual who sells a firearm for profit — even to friends or family —liable to civil, administrative and even criminal penalties for failing to register with a federal agency. The proposed rule, “Definition of Engaged in the Business as a Dealer in Firearms,” was put out for public comment on Sept. 8. Read the letter.

Alabama lawyer Larry Wayne Brantley was censured on Friday by the Tennessee Supreme Court in response to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office publicly reprimanding him and placing him on probation for 36 months with conditions. On Oct. 25, the court directed Brantley to respond to a notice of reciprocal discipline and provide any reason why the same discipline should not be imposed in Tennessee. The court reports that Brantley did not provide a response.

A news summary in Thursday’s issue of TBA Today mischaracterized the argument Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, The Daily Wire and The Federalist are making in opposing two projects funded by the State Department’s Global Engagement Center. The group argues that the technology being used by the center could "render disfavored press outlets unprofitable" and specifically cite funding that went to GDI and NewsGuard. Read the full story from Reuters.

Six individuals have applied to be considered by the Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments to fill a vacancy that will be created when Justice Roger A. Page retires from the court on Aug. 31, 2024. They are: 29th Judicial District Chancellor Tony Childress, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge J. Ross Dyer, McNairy County General Sessions & Juvenile Judge Van Douglas McMahan, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Camille R. McMullen, Memphis lawyer Jeffrey C. Smith and 30th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Mary L. Wagner. The Administrative Office of the Courts has links to each candidate’s application. The council will hold a public meeting to consider the candidates on Jan. 4, 2024, at the Belmont College of Law Randall and Sadie Baskin Center, 1901 15th Ave. S., Nashville 37212 at 9 a.m. CST. Interested individuals may attend the hearing and may express, orally or in writing, any objections concerning the applicants. The council is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward three names to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration.

TBA’s Year End CLE event offers a range of hour-based and topical packages. Want to learn more about operating your law practice? Check out the Law Practice Management Package, which offers 9.5 hours of dual credit and one hour of general credit. Courses bundled in the package include sessions on document management and retention, digital signatures, client data, understanding financial documents and tax returns, incorporating KPIs into a law practice, the latest in legal tech, and improving presentation skills. Looking for something else? Check out all packages here.

Don't miss the opportunity to lock in savings with the TBA's group health insurance. The deadline to enroll is Friday. The TBA BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee plan is guaranteed issue, and has no health questions and no pre-existing condition exclusions. And new this year, plans include the added benefit of a $15,000 life insurance policy for each insured. Don’t delay, get a quote today!

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reports that a new database is giving victims of sexual assault real-time updates on the evidence in their cases. According to the Tennessee Lookout, the SAMS-Track system is fully operational through a web portal after TBI logged 3,036 kits into it. The system requires police, hospitals and laboratories to log the dates they handle evidence to mark the path of a rape kit throughout the chain of command. TBI also recently told state lawmakers that the backlog of kits has improved. The average turnaround time for is now about 18 weeks, compared to 45 weeks a year ago.

Are you still looking for ethics credits before Dec. 31? Look no further! We’ve got our 12 Days of Ethics coming in hot with innovative programming you won’t want to miss. Be sure to check our social media channels over the next 12 days to see which programs you can choose from. Visit Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn to get more information using the hashtag #TBA12Days. Or go to the TBA CLE Course Catalog to get a full preview of more than 200 CLE programs by Tennessee lawyers for Tennessee lawyers.