A lawyer for Texas billionaire and Republican donor Harlan Crow has offered to meet with Senate Judiciary Committee staff to discuss his ties to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Reuters reports. Last month, Crow rejected the committee's request to detail gifts he or his companies have made to Thomas. In a six-page letter released Tuesday, Crow's lawyer said he does not think the committee has the power to request information from Crow but “we respect the Senate Judiciary Committee's important role in formulating legislation concerning our federal courts system, and would welcome a discussion with your staff."

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Tuesday that three of four men who say they were wrongly arrested by the Memphis Police Department in late May have had their charges dropped, reported the Commercial Appeal. Brothers Jamil Ibrahim, Moamen Saad Hijaz, Ibrahim Mahmoud and Salim Ibrahim were arrested May 27. Hijaz, Mahmoud and Salim Ibrahim were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct while Jamil Ibrahim was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault on a first responder. Mulroy said the charges against Jamil Ibrahim could be dropped in the future and that an internal investigation is underway into "the way the various police officers involved handled that incident."

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled 11-4 on Tuesday that the government cannot ban people convicted of non-violent crimes from possessing guns reported Reuters. The decision stems from a 2020 lawsuit by Pennsylvania man, Bryan Range, who was barred under federal law from possessing a gun after pleading guilty to welfare fraud. He claimed the prohibition violated his right to bear arms under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Range pleaded guilty in 1995 to committing welfare fraud in Pennsylvania in order to obtain $2,458 of food stamps, a misdemeanor punishable by up to five years' imprisonment. He was sentenced to three years of probation.

(NOTE: An earlier version of this article carried incorrect information on this court decision.) The full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of William Glenn Rogers, who was convicted in 2000 of the kidnapping, rape and murder of a Clarksville child. Judge Amul R. Thapar delivered the opinion of the court to uphold the death penalty for Rogers.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Coinbase on Tuesday, accusing the U.S. cryptocurrency exchange of operating illegally because of its failure register with the regulator, reported Reuters. In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the SEC said Coinbase has made billions of dollars handling cryptocurrency transactions while evading the disclosure requirements meant to protect investors. On Monday, the SEC filed suit against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao. Both civil cases are part of SEC Chair Gary Gensler's push to assert jurisdiction over crypto markets.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) has opened applications for the 2023 Families First Community Grant Program, an initiative that will make available approximately $30 million in funding to non-profit organizations providing direct services to strengthen Tennessee families in need and promote self-sufficiency. Qualifying non-profit organizations are invited to apply here through July 7 at 5 p.m. CST.

While Juneteenth is officially celebrated on June 19, the Tennessee State Museum will celebrate with a day-long event on Saturday. This year’s Juneteenth Celebration, “Looking to the Past to Empower the Future,” will feature an edition of the Museum's TN Writers | TN Stories series with New York Times author Sheree Renée Thomas. The museum will also host an "In Conversation" event with a group of panelists who will discuss beginner steps and best practices for preserving family history through material culture. Throughout the day, families can enjoy storytime and craft activities. There will also be a dance, poetry and music hour followed by a special panel discussion on preserving Black family history.

Join your colleagues in Knoxville at the TBA Convention on June 15 for the CLE/CME: Mediator Ethics: Where Do We Draw the Line? It is not unusual for mediators to develop tactics to achieve their settlement goals. But when do these tactics become manipulative or even deceptive? And is all manipulation inappropriate? If you can't make it to the full convention, you can just register for this course. 

The Tort & Insurance Law Section's annual forum features two hours of general CLE credit and one hour of dual CLE credit, including a session on healthcare liability updates, an overview of the ethical issues that attorneys face in conducting investigations and interviewing current and former employees of an opposing corporate litigant, and a panel of attorneys discussing the proper disclosure of experts. Go here to register.

Bill Beck, a Nashville lawyer and Democratic state representative died Sunday at the age of 61. According to the House Democratic Caucus, he died unexpectedly after suffering a heart attack. Beck was first elected in 2014 to represent House District 51, which includes key areas of the city including East Nashville, downtown and Germantown. According to the Tennessean, he championed public education, health care, transportation and a higher minimum wage during nearly a decade at the Capitol. Beck graduated from Belmont University and served in the Tennessee Air National Guard before attending the Nashville School of Law. He practiced law at Beck & Beck firm alongside his mother Martha Lu Cone Beck, who recently retired. Colleagues and friends reacted to the news calling Beck a “dedicated servant,” “effective leader” and “powerful voice for the city of Nashville.” The Tennessee Journal has more reactions. Rep. Beck will lie in state at the Capitol on Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. Funeral services will be Saturday at Polk Theatre in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, beginning at 11 a.m.