Nashville’s jail system has been over capacity for more than a year, raising concerns about violence, unsafe conditions and strained resources, the Nashville Banner reports. Data show the men’s Correctional Development Center has exceeded its 768-bed capacity since May 2024, with two other facilities overcrowded for at least five months. Sheriff Daron Hall said the problem stems from a combination of pandemic-era policy changes, longer jail stays and the closure of the former CoreCivic-run Metro Detention Facility, which has sat empty since 2020. On Aug. 18, the city’s jails held 2,644 people — nearly 300 over capacity. Metro Public Defender Martesha Johnson said the overcrowding has already contributed to violence, citing the June assault of one of her clients who later died, as well as a fatal overdose at the Harding Place jail. Both Hall and Johnson agreed that the overcrowding creates unsafe conditions for incarcerated people and staff and must be addressed soon.

Immigration policies promoted by Tennessee lawmakers this year have faced setbacks since the legislature recessed in April, the Nashville Banner reports. In the latest news, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced last week that his office will not defend a provision threatening local elected officials with felony charges if they vote in favor of sanctuary city policies. Skrmetti called it legally indefensible. The ACLU of Tennessee sued the state over the law. News reports from a few weeks ago indicated that the state might be open to a settlement with the group. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, who sponsored the bill that included the provision, said he trusts Skrmetti’s judgment but noted that the rest of the law will remain intact, even if the provision is ruled unconstitutional, due to a severability clause in the law.

A recently obtained police report sheds additional light on a 2024 shooting that ultimately led U.S. District Court Judge Mark Norris to recuse himself from several cases, including those involving former Memphis police officers charged in connection with the death of Tyré Nichols. According to The Daily Memphian, the report reveals that police responded to a shooting at 2:23 a.m. CDT on Oct. 7, 2024 — four days after the former officers were convicted. Police were told that four unknown people entered a home and shot Norris' former clerk in the abdomen. A witness told police they saw two people run toward the clerk’s driveway and later flee the scene. According to police, one 14-year-old suspect has been charged in connection to the crime. Following the shooting, Norris pushed for federal charges in the case and reportedly expressed frustration over the local police department’s investigation. Comments allegedly made about the investigation led Norris to recuse himself from the cases and a new trial for the former officers, according to the paper.

Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR), a Memphis-based legal nonprofit, is partnering with clergy members to create an immigration court "watch program" aimed at supporting immigrants and increasing transparency in court proceedings, Tennessee Lookout reports. AIR Executive Director Casey Bryant said the effort comes as federal prosecutors push for faster deportations and immigrants risk arrest at hearings, often without legal representation. Catholic priests Juan Antonio “Tony” Romo and Valentine Handwerker have already begun attending hearings, offering what Romo described as solidarity for immigrants facing a daunting process. Bryant said the goal is to establish a formal program with trained volunteers in each courtroom, providing a “friendly face” in the system.

Matthew Vandergriff, an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail, died last week after going into cardiac arrest. Chattanoogan.com reports that Vandergriff had been routinely treated for a chronic illness. He was being held on charges of arson and violating an order of protection. An investigation by the sheriff's office is pending.

Meta has appointed former Tennessee congressional candidate and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck to help address “ideological and political bias” in its AI systems. The Tennessean reports that the move stems from an August settlement of Starbuck’s defamation lawsuit, which alleged Meta AI falsely linked him to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Starbuck, who has led online campaigns against corporate DEI programs, says his goal is to ensure neutrality and fairness in AI. In a joint statement, Meta and Starbuck said they had resolved the matter to their mutual satisfaction. “Since engaging on these important issues with [Starbuck], Meta has made tremendous strides to improve the accuracy of Meta AI and mitigate ideological and political bias,” the statement reads. “Building on that work, Meta and Robby Starbuck will work collaboratively in the coming months to continue to find ways to address issues of ideological and political bias and minimize the risk that the model returns hallucinations in response to user queries.”

According to the Shelby County Juvenile Court's recently released annual report, data from the past three fiscal years shows that the court is jailing more children for longer periods than in the prior two fiscal years. Despite a decline in serious offenses, detention admissions rose from 872 in FY 2022 to 1,142 in FY 2024, with the average stay lengthening from 34 to 44 days. Critics argue this rollback in progress harms children and increases recidivism, while the court cites factors such as delayed evaluations, lack of guardians and insufficient community alternatives. The trend has strained the Youth Justice and Education Center, prompting Sheriff Floyd Bonner to withdraw his office from managing the facility in 2024 after warning of overcrowding, prolonged stays and inadequate staffing. MLK50 has the story.

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is now accepting applications for its Master of Science in Legal Studies program with concentrations in entertainment; anti-money laundering, fraud and compliance; and business law. The degree's first cohort will begin in 2026. A non-thesis program for business professionals and others seeking a deeper understanding of U.S. laws and the legal system, participants do not require a law degree to apply and will not be eligible to practice law with the degree. The program is housed in MTSU’s Department of Accounting in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and offered in collaboration with the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment and the Nashville School of Law (NSL). Students will take evening classes for part of the program at NSL and additional classes through MTSU in hybrid, online and in-person formats.

The state of Tennessee is appealing a federal judge’s order that permanently blocked a state law making it a crime to “recruit” minors for the purpose of obtaining an out-of-state abortion. The provision, included in a 2024 abortion trafficking law, was blocked by Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Julia Gibbons in July. Gibbons argued the provision was a clear violation of First Amendment rights, noting that is only criminalizes one side of speech about abortion. Gibbons, who sits on 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, presided over the case after several other judges recused themselves. The state has appealed the ruling to the 6th Circuit, Tennessee Lookout reports.

An epidemic of lawyers making AI-related mistakes in court filings, including errors in legal citations, is spurring law schools to teach responsible use of the technology, Bloomberg Law reports. For example, classes offered this fall at the University of Chicago Law School include “Generative AI in Legal Practice” and “Editing, Advocacy and AI,” while students at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School will have access to ChatGPT Edu in their legal writing classes. Yale Law School has a pro-bono legal clinic in which students train large language models about media law and learn its setbacks, limitations and practical uses.