A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked Murfreesboro city officials from enforcing an ordinance passed last summer designed to ban drag performances from taking place in public areas, reports WKRN. The order, issued by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr., bars the city from enforcing the rule during the BoroPride festival scheduled for Saturday. The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee against the city of Murfreesboro on behalf of the Tennessee Equality Project. The lawsuit alleged the Murfreesboro mayor and city manager “engaged in a year-long anti-LGBTQ+ campaign” by passing an ordinance last summer that restricted “indecent behavior” using language the suit labeled says is “staggeringly vague and overbroad.” Read the judge’s order and the ACLU press release.

Knox County General Sessions Court Judge Chuck Cerny received the Leon Ruben Award for Excellence at the recent Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference in Memphis. The award was presented by Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh. The Leon Ruben Award for Excellence is given annually to a judge or judges who distinguishes themselves through outstanding service to the community, the conference and the judiciary as a whole. The award is named for Ruben, who was a sitting judge for 37 years in Nashville. He also served as a Metro Council Member and was known for his excellent contributions to the community. Read the full release from the court and see photos of the event.

The Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) welcomes Erin Lynch to its professional clinical team. Lynch has a master of education degree in counseling psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University New York. She also holds a bachelor of arts degree in Asian & Middle Eastern studies and political science from the university. She has completed the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and is under supervision as a licensed professional counselor in Tennessee. In addition, she has past experience as a paralegal in the realm of domestic violence.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will launch its inaugural Diversity Law Week March 11-16, 2024, across the state, and is looking for attorneys and judges to provide high school students with a unique opportunity to learn firsthand from professionals. Students will shadow legal professionals during the week as well as engage in an immersive experience at a college or law school campus and observe a court proceeding. The goal of the program is to give high school students early exposure to the legal world and resources for a career in law. Those interested in volunteering to help the program are asked to register online. Thanks to YLD President Quinton Thompson for his vision for this program and program coordinators Chattanooga lawyer Ariel Anthony, Memphis lawyer Kevin Christopher and Nashville lawyer Erin Shackelford. Contact TBA Young Lawyers Division & Law Student Development Coordinator Laura Labenberg with any questions.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced yesterday that no charges will be filed in the death of Jarveon Hudspeth, who was shot by a county sheriff's officer during a traffic stop. The sheriff's office says the officer was injured after being dragged over 100 yards during the incident. A redacted version of the video of Hudspeth's death was released. Mulroy also announced the release of video in three other officer-involved shootings previously determined not to warrant charges, the Commercial Appeal reports. All videos are now available on the district attorney’s website. The release of redacted videos is in accordance with a new policy to release footage of fatal shootings sooner.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society recently held a reception to honor the current, outgoing and new members of the court. Retired Justice Sharon Lee and incoming Justice Dwight Tarwater specifically were recognized. The reception took place at the Nashville office of Holland & Knight. See photos from the event. The society was created in 1995 to ensure that the records and history of Tennessee courts are preserved and accessible to residents of the state. In addition, the organization works to educate Tennesseans of all ages about the rule of law and the importance of an independent judiciary.

Disability advocates are raising concerns about state leaders considering the rejection of $1.8 billion a year in federal education funding. The Tennessean reports that funding, designated through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), protects the education rights of more than 135,000 Tennessee children with a disability. Federal education funding also supports Title I and other federal programs for low-income students and school lunch programs. Read more about the developing issue from the paper.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced yesterday that Tennessee and 32 other attorneys general have reached a settlement with health care clearinghouse Inmediata for a coding issue that exposed the protected health information of approximately 1.5 million consumers for almost three years. Under the settlement, Inmediata has agreed to overhaul its data security and breach notification practices and make a $1.4 million payment to states. Tennessee will receive $71,273 from the settlement. Inmediata was accused of violating state consumer protection laws and breaching notification laws and HIPAA by failing to implement reasonable data security or providing affected consumers with timely and complete information regarding the breach.

U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz in the Western District of Tennessee has joined with the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). DVAM pays tribute to victims and survivors and salutes the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers and first responders. Purple Thursday, observed today, is a National Day of Action during DVAM and an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence and promote safe communities.

Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $192.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit by investors in Rite Aid who accused Walgreens of downplaying scrutiny from U.S. antitrust regulators in 2017 over a pending merger between the drug store chains. Reuters reports that the deal, filed in a Pennsylvania federal court last week, is subject to approval. Walgreens ultimately scrapped the takeover plan in 2017 after failing to win approval from the Federal Trade Commission. The settlement with investors follows an announcement Monday that Rite Aid had filed for bankruptcy protection after struggling with high debt from opioid litigation. Under the current proposed bankruptcy plan, the company's shares would be dissolved with no compensation to shareholders.