During a closed-door meeting of the U.S. Judicial Conference on Tuesday, Sen. Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and chair of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, urged U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to implement an enforceable ethics code for the court. Durbin argued that the court's recently adopted code — its first formal set of ethical guidelines for the nine justices — lacks necessary enforcement mechanisms, according to Reuters. Adopted in November 2023 after reports that justices received undisclosed gifts and luxury trips, the new code allows members of the court to self-regulate their recusal decisions, unlike the binding standards for lower-court judges. Durbin emphasized that while the new code represents a step forward, it must be made enforceable. President Joe Biden also has called on Congress to establish a binding code for justices. Others argue, however, that the U.S. Constitution does not give Congress the authority to regulate the court.

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz of Memphis was confirmed to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Monday in a 48-46 vote by the U.S. Senate. The Daily Memphian reports that Ritz, nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden in March, succeeds Judge Julia Gibbons of Memphis on the panel of 29 judges who hear appeals from federal district courts in Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Gibbons is taking senior status on the court. According to the Commercial Appeal, Ritz, who was born and raised in Memphis, began working in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee in 2005, holding a number of positions including appellate chief, criminal appellate chief and special counsel. As U.S. attorney, he led the federal criminal case against five Memphis police officers charged with violating Tyre Nichols' civil rights, was part of the announcement that the Justice Department had launched a pattern-or-practice investigation into the Memphis Police Department and brought a new program to Memphis that targets organized crime. Tennessee's Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty voted against Ritz's confirmation. Blackburn detailed her opposition during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in April. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, praised the Senate vote in a post-confirmation social media post.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles is contesting the FBI's seizure of his cell phone and Gmail account as part of an investigation into alleged campaign finance discrepancies. Ogles confirmed the seizure in a social media post last month. According to Axios Nashville, Ogles claims these devices contain legislative materials that should be protected under federal law. In a recent court filing, he requests permission to review and remove documents related to that work. His attorneys also argue that the Justice Department should not have access to these communications. With regard to the broader investigation, Ogles has maintained that the alleged reporting discrepancies were based on honest mistakes.

In an ongoing investigation into U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles' campaign finance disclosures, the Maury County Republican has confirmed that the FBI had taken possession of his cell phone. “It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made mistakes in our initial financial filings,” Ogles said in the post made to X, formerly known as Twitter. “We have worked diligently with attorneys and reporting experts to correct the errors and ensure compliance going forward. It is my understanding that they are investigating the same well-known facts surrounding these filings." An FBI spokesperson declined to comment. The Tennessean has the story.

The U.S Senate has unanimously passed the JUDGES Act, which would add 66 new judgeships to federal district courts over the next decade. Above the Law reports that the effort aims to address a growing caseload and alleviate the burden on overworked judges in 25 district courts in 13 states. The bill, if enacted, would be the first major expansion of the federal judiciary since 1990. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a lead cosponsor of the legislation, stated, "For decades, Congress has failed to authorize new federal judgeships, creating a massive backlog of case filings for our nation’s federal judges." The bill now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the challenge for one of two U.S. Senate seats, current state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville won yesterday's Democratic primary against three other contenders, including Marquita Bradshaw, who was the Democratic nominee for the seat in 2020. Johnson will face incumbent Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in the November election. The Tennessean reports on the race. Read more here about the primary results in the Tennessee delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced a measure to prohibit the creation of digital re-creations of a person’s voice or likeness without that individual’s consent. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee’s senior senator, is one of two Republicans and two Democrats behind the NO FAKES Act. If enacted, the bill would allow individuals to pursue damages if their voice, face or body were re-created by AI. Both individuals and companies would be held accountable for creating, hosting or sharing unauthorized digital replicas. The proposal has garnered early support from entertainment organizations and OpenAI. The federal effort follows passage of the ELVIS Act in Tennessee this year. The Tennessean has more on the story.

U.S. Rep. Mark Green has been named one of 13 lawmakers to serve on a bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The task force will explore the U.S. Secret Service's security measures and the circumstances allowing a gunman to open fire at a political rally. Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania will chair the task force and says he hopes to “utilize the collective power of Congress as a tool to dig deeper and find the facts.” A final report from the group is expected by Dec. 13, with interim findings to be released as the investigation progresses. The Hill has more on the task force. Green, a Republican, represents Tennessee's 7th Congressional District.

A bipartisan bill co-authored by Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut has passed the Senate with overwhelming support. The Associated Press reports that the bill, which passed 91-3, is designed to protect children from dangerous online content and has been pushed by parents of children who died by suicide after online bullying or otherwise have been harmed by content found online. The legislation would force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm on online platforms frequently used by minors, requiring them to exercise “duty of care” and ensure that they generally default to the safest settings possible. This is the first major effort in decades by Congress to hold tech companies accountable for content on their platforms.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett recently sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty with concerns about “unnecessary burdens placed on businesses owned and operated by our fellow Tennesseans,” reports the Upper Cumberland Business Journal. The letter acts as an official request to repeal a “requirement under the Corporate Transparency Act” that Hargett says burdens small business operating in both the country and state by forcing them to report information on the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The requirement, which was set up as a counterterrorism and anti-illicit finance effort, focuses on businesses with 25 or fewer employees while exempting certain publicly traded companies, non profits and some large companies.