Rainess Holmes pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated burglary and one count of second-degree murder in the 2021 death of Andrew “Drew” Rainer, a Rhodes College student. The Daily Memphian reports that Holmes was sentenced to 20 years in prison and received credit for the three and a half years he has already served. He will be required to serve 100% of the remaining sentence. Prosecutors said Holmes and several others broke into an off-campus home in October 2021 where Rainer, other students and a guest were staying. Rainer was shot in the chest during the break-in and pronounced dead at the scene. According to a statement from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, Holmes was one of four men who entered the home but was not the shooter.

For four consecutive weeks, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in West Knoxville has been closed for routine check-ins, causing heightened anxiety among immigrants, Knox News reports. Many affected residents are in the process of seeking asylum and could face removal if they miss scheduled check-ins. The office serves individuals who are either authorized to be in the United States or are working with the government to remain. Those awaiting immigration court dates, undergoing the asylum process, or subject to removal orders but considered low priority are typically required to check in every few months. Prior to the closure, three individuals were arrested without warning during a Feb. 12 check-in, despite facing no criminal charges.

The Knoxville Bar Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for its 2025 funding cycle, with applications due by May 30. Established in 1992 to promote justice, legal education and support for the legal profession, the Foundation has awarded more than $580,000 to local law-related programs and projects. Individual grants are typically $5,000 or less and must be used for specific initiatives, excluding operating costs and endowments. Grants will be awarded in June, and interested organizations are encouraged to apply online here.

Dean John Sauer was confirmed as U.S. solicitor general and the Trump administration’s top lawyer for Supreme Court cases in a 52-45 Senate vote, Bloomberg reports. Sauer, a former federal prosecutor and Missouri solicitor general, successfully argued before the Supreme Court last year on behalf of former President Donald Trump in his bid for immunity from criminal prosecution related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Additionally, the Senate confirmed attorney Harmeet Dhillon, Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, also in a 52-45 vote. Dhillon will oversee both criminal and civil matters, including hate crime prosecutions, voting rights litigation and investigations into law enforcement agencies for patterns of discrimination.

Nine international students at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT) have had their immigration statuses changed, resulting in revoked student visas and the risk of deportation as of Friday, Knox News reports. The students are listed as “individual identified in criminal records check and/or has had their visa revoked.” UT discovered last week that the statuses had changed for three students and a former student working on campus. The terminations — entered directly into the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, bypassed the university’s traditional role in initiating such changes and left students without the opportunity to contest the revocations beforehand. International students across the country are now pursuing legal challenges to the SEVIS terminations, arguing the actions may violate constitutional due process protections and the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires federal agencies to provide notice and an opportunity to respond before taking adverse administrative action.

Facebook parent Meta Platforms faces trial in Washington, D.C., starting this week on claims it built an illegal social media monopoly by spending billions to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp, Reuters reports. The case, filed during President Donald Trump’s first term, alleges Meta bought the companies a decade ago to eliminate competition among social media platforms where users connect with friends and family. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking to force Meta to restructure or sell parts of its business, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta has argued in court filings that its acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 have benefited users, and it plans to point to increased traffic on its platforms during TikTok’s brief U.S. shutdown in January as evidence of continued competition. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the stand during the trial, which could extend into July. If the FTC prevails, it would need to prove in a second trial that breaking up Meta’s business would restore market competition. The case is one of five in which the FTC and U.S. Department of Justice have accused major tech companies — including Amazon, Apple and Google — of maintaining illegal monopolies.

A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey shows strong support for the judiciary. The survey found that 70% of adults agreed that judges should not be impeached for ruling against elected leaders, while 83% of respondents said that presidents must obey a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. And while the Supreme Court has reached its highest approval rating in three years at 54%, many are still concerned about the influence of partisan politics, with 50% of respondents believing that the justices’ decisions are influenced by politics. Read the full survey results in a press release from the school.

The latest episode of the TBA Legislative Updates podcast features TBA lobbyists Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC and Ashley Harbin of Adams and Reese. They discussed several key bills, including HB1131/SB1331, known as the Equal Parenting Bill; HB492/SB540, the TBA Family Law Bill; and HB1355/SB1052, the TBA Adoption Law Bill. They also cover updates on the upcoming state budget vote. For more on the progress of TBA-supported legislation, visit the TBA website. Tune in to the podcast on the TBA website or through this link.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law on March 25 changing the statute of limitations for voyeurism crimes in the state, WBIR reports. The Voyeurism Victims Act (HB0602) gives survivors more time to press charges against individuals caught illegally observing others in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The legislation passed the House nearly unanimously, and an amended version passed the Senate. The law, which takes effect July 1, follows the case of a Nashville man charged with eight counts of unlawful photography after allegedly recording sexual partners without their consent. Authorities discovered approximately 25,000 sexually explicit files, but many of the women involved were unable to press charges due to the statute of limitations. State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, introduced an amendment allowing victims of voyeurism to petition for an order of protection, which was not permitted under previous law.

A bill now heading to the governor’s desk could soon allow Tennessee physicians and insurance companies to deny patients certain medical treatments. HB1044/SB955 would permit doctors, nurses and insurance companies to refuse procedures that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs, according to WPLN News. The legislation, backed by the lobbying group Alliance Defending Freedom, mirrors similar proposals in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa and other states. However, Tennessee’s bill differs in that it does not require patients to be notified if their doctor or insurance provider no longer offers a service. Two Senate amendments clarified that the provisions do not apply when health care professionals perform procedures for individuals in imminent danger of harming themselves or others.