Tennessee State University Interim President Ronald Johnson resigned today as tensions over the school’s finances continue to escalate. Johnson took office in July after the TSU Board of Trustees appointed him to a one-year term. According to The Tennessean, his appointment followed years of criticism from state leaders regarding the school’s management. Johnson had previously criticized the lack of oversight by the former board, which was vacated earlier this year by the state legislature. The board will hold a special meeting Friday morning to discuss appointing a new interim president.

On Thursday, the Elizabethton City Council will consider appointing an acting municipal judge while the city’s current judge remains unable to practice law, WJHL News reports. Municipal Judge Jason Holly’s law license was suspended in October after he reportedly failed to respond to a misconduct complaint filed with the Board of Professional Responsibility. That suspension followed a prior incident earlier this year when he was unable to sit on the bench due to failure to submit his required continuing legal education hours. Holly won reelection in November, despite not being able to practice law at the time voters went to the polls, according to the TV station.

Nashville Metro Police held its annual “Safe Surrender” event over the weekend. More than 300 individuals were served and more than 670 expungements were processed during the two-day event, News Channel 5 reports. The event offered men and women with warrants for non-violent crimes — including failure to appear in court — a chance to receive favorable consideration for surrendering. Many attendees were able to go home the same day. Held at the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, the church was transformed into a courtroom where individuals could consult with an attorney and appear before a judge from either criminal or general sessions court. In addition, juvenile court staff assisted individuals with outstanding child support issues, the Metro Action Commission provided utility payment assistance applications and the Urban League offered job placement support.

A U.S. judge in North Dakota has blocked the Biden administration from requiring 19 states — including Tennessee — provide health insurance coverage to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients or "Dreamers." U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor ruled that a May rule adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services likely violates federal law, which prohibits offering public benefits to individuals without legal immigration status, Reuters reports. Traynor's ruling blocks the rule from being enforced in the states that sued in August, pending the outcome of the case. The judge sided with the states, agreeing that the rule improperly encourages DACA recipients to remain in the U.S. illegally and forces states to spend millions of dollars on public services for them and their children. The National Immigration Law Center, which represents DACA recipients who intervened in the case to defend the rule, said it was considering its next steps.

Criminal justice leaders in Memphis are advocating for the construction of a local crime lab, arguing that faster evidence processing could increase crime-solving rates. An October study by The Precision Criminal Justice Consulting LLC estimates the cost to build a local crime lab at $50 million. According to the Daily Memphian, this would be double the cost of building the current crime lab used by Memphis and Shelby County, which is located in Jackson. The annual operating cost of the proposed lab would be similar to that of Nashville’s crime lab, which has an $11 million yearly budget, according to the report. In a separate development, state Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, introduced a bill in the state legislature last session that mandates a feasibility study on the impact of a local crime lab. The study is expected to be completed by Dec. 19.

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance have filed an emergency injunction asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review legislation that would ban the social media app in the U.S. if ByteDance does not sell the platform by Jan. 19, 2025. The appeal follows a ruling on Friday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which upheld the ban. Under an act signed by President Joe Biden in the spring, TikTok will become illegal for distribution in the U.S. if ByteDance does not sell the platform. ByteDance has argued that selling the platform is "not possible," commercially, technologically or legally. The Tennessean has the latest in the case.

Are you interested in serving on TBA's Board of Governors or House of Delegates, or as a TBA delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates? The 2025 Election Notice has more information on what positions are open and the qualifications for each. Questions? Visit the TBA’s website at www.tba.org/election_guidelines. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2025.

Hamilton County commissioners plan to discuss at a meeting on Wednesday a proposal from County Mayor Weston Wamp to replace long-serving county attorney Rheubin Taylor with Janie Parks Varnell. Taylor has served as the county attorney since 1993 and his contract expires in June. When Wamp took office in September 2022, he attempted unsuccessfully to fire Taylor, citing Taylor's handling of public records and his work on noncounty legal business. The commission supported Taylor, and a judge ruled Taylor could serve out his term. The proposal calls for Varnell to start in January and transition into the role. Though Taylor's term expires in June, some are considering keeping him on as a contract counsel through the end of 2025. Wamp recently scheduled a private meet-and-greet — which he says was strictly informational — for commissioners to interact with Varnell. Some feared the gathering violated Tennessee’s open meeting laws. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) last week announced Kathy Sinback’s departure from the role of executive director. In a release, Sinback said, “It was an honor for me to build on the work of the legendary Hedy Weinberg and to help position ACLU-TN for future success. It is evident now more than ever that we need nonpartisan organizations like ACLU-TN to unite people around common values such as freedom, democratic participation, due process and respect for our neighbors.” The ACLU-TN Board of Directors has named Phyllida Burlingame as interim executive director and is initiating a search for a permanent executive director.

University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law has released Season Two of its "Show Cause" podcast. Episodes include discussions about the risks to Tennessee's wetlands, helping pediatric victims of gun violence through a partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety and LeBonheur Children's Hospital, and a new disability rights legal clinic launching in the spring. Listen to all episodes here.