A Knox County grand jury has indicted University of Tennessee (UT) protesters who took part in on-campus demonstrations more than a year ago against Israeli actions in Gaza, according to records from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Seven of the 12 protesters indicted are scheduled for arraignment July 16 and July 22 in Knox County Criminal Court on charges of criminal trespassing, a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $50 fine, Tennessee Lookout reports. The others are still awaiting court dates. Attorney Dillon Zinser, who represents one of the defendants, said they plan to fight the charges. The protesters, including university students and community members, were arrested May 2024, during a pro-Palestinian rally at the school. Two of those arrested also filed a federal lawsuit against UT in May 2025, claiming the school violated their First Amendment rights during the demonstration.

Crime continued to decline in the first half of the year, according to data the Memphis Police Department released Tuesday. The department’s data shows overall crime is down 20% through the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, The Daily Memphian reports. Murders are down 15% and aggravated assaults are down 14%. Shooting incidents are down 28% through June 30, and the number of shooting victims has dropped 31%. The department also shared historical data showing overall crime is down 34% compared to the midpoint of 2023 and down 3% compared to 2020. “While the data tells one part of the story, what matters is that people in our neighborhoods are starting to feel the difference in their homes, at work and as they raise their families here in our city,” police chief C.J. Davis said.

The TBA will be closed Friday, July 4, for Independence Day. The office will reopen Monday at 8 a.m. CDT. As always, our TBA.org website has plenty of continuing legal education options and other information available to you 24/7. Reach out to staff directly using contact information posted on our online staff directory.

President Donald Trump has nominated four people to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors. They are Knoxville lawyer and Knoxville Sports Authority Board member Jeff Hagood; Memphian Mitch Graves, the CEO of West Cancer Center and a current member of Memphis Light Gas and Water’s (MLGW) Board of Commissioners; Nashville businessman Lee Beaman; and Randall Jones of Alabama. Three of the vacancies were the result of Trump's firing members earlier this year. The Commercial Appeal and Knox News have more on the nominees, which now must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee will appoint a new full-time magistrate judge upon the resignation of Magistrate Judge Alistair Newbern, effective Jan. 2, 2026. Application forms and more information on the position may be obtained from Chief Deputy Clerk Vicki Kinkade, 719 Church St., Ste. 1300, Nashville, TN 37203. The application form is also available as a download from the court’s website. Applications must be submitted by applicants personally and must be received by Aug. 15. More information and the requirements for candidates are laid out in the public notice of appointment.

The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation (TJCF) has passed a resolution to honor the late Judge James Curwood Witt Jr. with a legacy scholarship. The foundation will match funds up to $12,500, which will yield a $1,500 annual scholarship to the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. Knoxville attorneys Ann Short and Eric Butler will serve as chairs of the effort. According to the TJCF, Judge Witt was a valued member of the court and Tennessee legal community. He served as a former presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, and at 27 years of service, was the longest-serving member in the court’s history. Donations may be made online or by check, payable to the TJCF, with a notation to fund the Judge Curwood Witt Scholarship. Checks should be mailed to Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation, c/o Suzanne Keith, 629 Woodland St., Nashville, TN 37206. Questions may be directed to Ann Short, 865-637-2142 or Eric Butler, 865-546-4646.

President Donald Trump has nominated former U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant to be the chief federal prosecutor for the Western District of Tennessee, a position he held during Trump's first term. The Daily Memphian reports that during his tenure, Dunavant oversaw a shift in the federal office, from a focus on reviewing police conduct and policies to a focus on backing law enforcement. Prior to his first stint as U.S. attorney, Dunavant served as district attorney general for Tennessee's 25th Judicial District, which covers Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale and McNairy counties. He replaces career prosecutor Joe Murphy, who has been the interim U.S. attorney since Trump fired interim U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren, who was appointed when U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz stepped down.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia will stay in jail for now over concerns from his lawyers that he could be deported if he is released to await trial on human smuggling charges, the Associated Press reports. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys had asked Nashville-based U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes on Friday to delay his release because of what they described as “contradictory statements” by the administration over what would happen to him if released. The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday it intends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before moving to deport him. Earlier that day though a DOJ lawyer told a federal judge in Maryland that the U.S. government planned to deport him to a “third country.” Holmes, who ruled on June 22 that Abrego Garcia has a right to be released while awaiting trial on smuggling charges, approved the defense team’s request to delay that order.

Interim U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr. announced criminal charges today against three defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund (FECA). The charges, filed in federal court, are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The case involves a West Tennessee pharmacy that allegedly billed FECA for medications that were not based on valid prescriptions and were not dispensed to injured claimants. The charges are part of a nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, according to a news release. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted with the care of the elderly and disabled. In connection with the takedown, the government seized more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

Fatal drug overdoses are steadily declining in Nashville this year, but local officials say the city’s opioid epidemic continues to impact its youngest residents. Davidson County’s Safe Babies Court program reports that about 90% of its cases involve children exposed to drugs or parents struggling with substance use, according to program coordinator Jill Overton. Magistrate Olen Winningham, who oversees the court, said the program provides vital support services for families, including sobriety monitoring, housing, therapy and early childhood screenings. With uncertainty about federal grant funding, the program is relying more on community support, WKRN reports. The Nashville Metro Council recently approved a grant to help keep it running. Currently, more than 20 counties across the state operate a Safe Babies Court according to the news station.