The Tennessee Attorney General’s (AG) Office is warning consumers about scams related to the popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound (GLP-1 drugs). Skyrocketing consumer demand for these medications plus the high price tag and tight supplies have created opportunities for scammers to cash in, the office reports. Before seeking out alternative sources for these medications, consumers should be aware of the risks. The Tennessean reports that scammers in China, Turkey and India are selling counterfeit products that falsely claim to contain semaglutide, the active ingredient in prefilled injectable pens sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, which many doctors prescribe for weight loss.

Knox County has dismantled the long-standing leadership at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center following reports of alleged poor medical care, missing medication and retaliatory firing of whistleblowers. An 18-month transition plan approved by county commissioners will place control of the facility under the Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) effective Jan. 1, 2026, while oversight will be provided by a newly appointed board and continued check-ins by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. The shift drew criticism due to concerns about the sheriff’s department, including a recent inmate death at the county jail. The overhaul follows the forced resignation of Richard Bean, who had run the facility since 1972 allegedy with little oversight and a handpicked board of trustees. Knox News has the story.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released a formal opinion today that provides guidance to lawyers exercising peremptory challenges in the jury selection process. According to a release, the opinion states that a lawyer who knows or reasonably should know that their use of peremptory challenges constitutes unlawful discrimination violates ABA Model Rule 8.4(g). The opinion also clarifies that such conduct cannot be considered “legitimate advocacy,” even if advised by a client, jury consultant or AI software. And it outlines a lawyer’s duty to investigate the motives behind seemingly discriminatory challenges. Finally, it reinforces the principle that ethics rules prohibit actions deemed unlawful by courts or legislatures.

Six weeks after being found guilty on 17 of 19 charges — including theft, money laundering, bribery and kickbacks — former Tennessee House Speaker Glenn Casada formally requested a new trial. His co-defendant and former chief of staff Cade Cothren has indicated he intends to do the same. The Tennessean reports that one reason Casada's attorneys say he is entitled to a new trial is that incriminating portions of the former lawmaker's FBI interview were played in court despite the government agreeing to redact them. In the motion for a new trial, attorneys wrote, “The bell could not be unrung — the jury heard the redacted statements, and there is no meaningful way to undo that error." U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson rejected a motion for mistrial after the interview was played in court. Casada and Cothren are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 12, but that may be delayed given these new filings.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Securities Division recently amended its current rules to allow certain investment advisers, private fund advisers and venture capital firms whose only clients are private funds and who meet the new rule’s definition to be exempt from registration and custody requirements. However, these firms will be required to notice file and annually renew the filing with the division. The division says there has been confusion as to who should be utilizing the new exemption with some relying on the de minimis exemption and believing custody requirements do not apply. To clarify, the division says that the de minimis exemption never exempted an investment adviser from the requirement to comply with custody rules. However, those who meet the requirements of the newly created private fund exemption, found at Tennessee Securities Rule 0780-04-03-.05 (1)(c), are not subject to the custody requirements. To help investors, the division has prepared an FAQ to provide greater clarification.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order yesterday denying a death row inmate's request for a hearing on his competency, paving the way for his execution on Aug. 5, The Tennessean reports. Byron Black's lawyers have argued that his intellectual disability, along with dementia and severe brain damage, make him incompetent for execution. In June, they asked the justices to reverse a lower court’s ruling that declined to consider the issue. In denying the request, the Supreme Court stated that the intellectual disability claim has been litigated fully on the merits and no extenuating circumstances warrant a different outcome. Black's lawyer said she plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. The legal team also has filed a petition in Davidson County Chancery Court, asking the state to ensure that his implanted heart defibrillator is disabled before his execution. A hearing in that matter is scheduled for July 14.

Jared Effler, district attorney general in the state's 8th Judicial District, has been elected by members of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference to serve as president of the organization. A native of Union County, Effler earned his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1999. He first served the district as an assistant district attorney. According to Knox TN Today, Effler said he looks forward to working with his colleagues “as we advocate for crime victims and work to improve public safety in our great state.” He took office in 2014 and was re-elected without opposition in 2022. The 8th Judicial District includes Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties.

Chattanooga lawyer and former TBA President Sam D. Elliott took over as chair of the Tennessee Bar Foundation Board of Trustees on July 1, Chattanoogan.com reports. Elliott, a member of Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon PLLC and a foundation board member since 2019, will serve for one year. The foundation, established in 1982, administers the state’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, honors distinguished attorneys as fellows and supports law-related public interest projects. The IOLTA program funds Tennessee’s legal aid programs and other nonprofit organizations. Elliott is a former president of the Chattanooga Bar Association and currently serves as chair of the Tennessee Historical Commission.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has hired Nashville attorney Masami Tyson to be his new chief of staff. Tyson will succeed Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace, who ran O'Connell's 2023 campaign and has been his only chief of staff. Pomeroy-Wallace will remain with the O'Connell administration in the newly created position of chief strategy officer. Nashville Business Journal reports that Tyson is a former senior counsel at Franklin-based Nissan Americas who then spent almost four years as Tennessee’s top official recruiting business investments from foreign companies. Most recently, Tyson opened a Nashville office for Womble Bond Dickinson, where she was a partner. A native of Yokohama, Japan, Tyson received her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2000. Read more in a press release from the mayor's office.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) has agreed to delete the booking photo of a Muslim woman, photographed without her hijab, from its database in response to a pending lawsuit. In May 2024, Layla Soliz was arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of the University of Tennessee College of Law. She filed a lawsuit in October claiming that her religious freedoms had been violated because KCSO took the photo of her and published it, violating KCSO policy. In March, she settled the monetary damages portion of the lawsuit. On June 3, KCSO certified that it had expunged the uncovered booking photo of Soliz and all videos from its internal database. On July 7, the office moved to dismiss the case. Knox News has the story.