Incumbent Franklin Mayor Ken Moore won reelection last night over Alderman Gabrielle Hanson. The race gained national attention as Hanson faced questions about her ties to white supremacists, her criminal record and past statements about the Covenant School shooting. Read more about the race from the Nashville Post and its Williamson County sister publication The News.

The Davidson County District Attorney’s office has announced the hiring of Kevin Kennedy and Eli Cheely as new assistant district attorneys (ADAs). Kennedy, a 2021 graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, will focus on domestic violence cases while Cheely, a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, will handle cases in general sessions court. The two were sworn in this week by 20th Judicial District Judge Steve Dozier, according to the Nashville Post.

A bipartisan group of legal experts – including a federal appeals court judge and a former U.S. solicitor general – are throwing their support behind 18-year term limits for U.S. Supreme Court justices, Reuters reports. The 11-member group includes 7th Circuit Judge Diane Wood, a onetime Supreme Court contender herself, along with Harvard Law Professor Charles Fried, who served as U.S. solicitor general under former President Ronald Reagan. Akhil Amar, a constitutional law professor at Yale Law School, also signed on. In a report released by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the group argues that Congress should end life tenure among the justices through statute to reduce partisanship and improve the judiciary’s reputation.

The U.S. House of Representatives elected Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana, as its new speaker today after multiple attempts over the past several weeks, the New York Times reports. Among the representatives vying for the top job earlier this week were Reps. Chuck Fleischmann and Mark Green. Fleischmann, who represents Tennessee’s Third Congressional District, dropped out after the first round of voting while Green, who represents the Seventh District, dropped out after the second. WKRN has that story.

The Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals has reversed a Shelby County Criminal Court judge's ruling that freed a man by shortening his almost 163-year sentence to 25 years. The ruling upholds the initial sentence imposed on Courtney Anderson, who was convicted of felony theft, felony forgery and misdemeanor possession of a handgun in a public space. Last December, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan shortened Anderson's sentence to the 25 years he had already served. The state attorney general challenged the decision, arguing that Skahan did not have jurisdiction to re-open post-conviction proceedings in the case. The appeals court agreed. Read the decision or reporting about it by the Commercial Appeal.

Federal prosecutors pursuing criminal charges against those involved in the death of Tyre Nichols have asked a judge to omit evidence related to Nichols’ character in public filings about the case. The Commercial Appeal reports that prosecutors are arguing such evidence should not be released since it would be inadmissible in court given that Nichols is not alive to defend himself. The move comes after the lawyer for one suspect sought access to Nichols’ cellphone, alleging he had a hallucinogenic substance, along with stolen debit cards, credit cards and photo IDs in his car. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is asking for a hearing on the issue so that “any attempts to improperly and unfairly malign Nichols’ character” be stopped.

A new report from Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research shows that first-generation college students who go on to law school face additional challenges as compared to peers whose parents graduated from college. The Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) found that on average these students spend more time studying, earn slightly lower grades and graduate with higher debt loads. The report encourages law schools to recognize these challenges and provide additional flexibility and support for these students. Reuters reports on the findings.

TBA’s Group Health Insurance, provided by BlueCross BlueShield, offers guaranteed issue coverage, with no health questions and no pre-existing condition exclusions, at a significant savings. Here is what TBA member Gail Vaughn Ashworth says about the program: “When the TBA started TBA Member Insurance Solutions (TBAMS) with group health insurance coverage in 2020, our small firm immediately priced it against our longstanding group health insurance plan and compared the benefits in both plans. We were very pleased and surprised that by switching to the TBA group health plan we saved over $30,000 the first year and we had great group health insurance benefits. That is a huge savings, which we have taken advantage of each year since the beginning of the program — not only for the continued cost savings but for the great plan benefits. The TBAMS staff is very helpful, and the transition was very smooth. Renewing every year is also seamless. I recommend using the online quote tool on the TBA website or calling TBAMS at 800-347-1109 to find out how you can take advantage of this great member benefit. We all have TBA Past- President Sarah Sheppeard to thank for getting this wonderful health insurance benefit in place.” Don’t lose out on your savings! Open enrollment runs through Dec. 15.

Friends and family gathered Friday at the Nashville Historic Courthouse for a portrait unveiling of former Court of Appeals Judge Richard Dinkins. Chancellor Russell Perkins opened the court, while reflections of Dinkins’ life were shared by Nashville lawyers D. Billye Sanders and Margaret Behm and federal district court Chief Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. The portrait, painted by Michael Shane Neal, was unveiled by members of the Dinkins family. Chancellor I’Ashea Myles provided closing remarks. Dinkins died Oct. 1 at the age of 71. Before being named to the appellate court, he served as a Davidson County chancellor.

The 21st District Recovery Court is hosting its 13th Annual Community Luncheon on Oct. 30 at 11:30 a.m. CDT at the Williamson County Enrichment Center, 110 Everbright Ave. in Franklin. The luncheon serves as one of the court’s annual fundraisers. In addition to hearing from recent graduates, the court will honor Phil Newman with the Gayle Moyer Harris Award, which honors one of the court’s founders. Newman is a former board chair and was instrumental in developing several fundraisers for the organization. To attend, RSVP to Connie Martin. Donations in support of the recovery court program may be made online.