U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw has granted Brian Kelsey’s request to stay out of prison on bail while he appeals a 21-month sentence for directing a scheme to violate federal campaign finance laws, Tennessee Lookout reports. The former state Republican senator was to report to prison in mid-October. In a court hearing last week, Kelsey’s lawyer argued that federal prosecutors violated a plea agreement after Kelsey reneged on a guilty plea. Prosecutors countered that Kelsey broke the agreement first by trying to take back his guilty plea, which caused him to commit perjury. In November 2022, Kelsey pleaded guilty to directing a secret plan to funnel about $109,000 from his state campaign through two political action committees to the American Conservative Union, which bought ads for his failed 2016 congressional campaign.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved $3.5 million in federal grant money for Memphis and Shelby County, Action 5 News reports. The city of Memphis will receive $2 million to equip 2,200 sworn officers with body-worn cameras and to establish a comprehensive camera-use policy to enhance transparency and accountability in policing. Shelby County will receive $1.5 million to strengthen its rape kit initiative, including investigating the backlog in testing and using genealogy in John Doe cases. “The grants announced today will improve accountability in policing in Memphis and bring to justice perpetrators of sexual assault in our community,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, who announced the funding.

Consulting firm McKinsey & Co has agreed to pay $230 million to resolve lawsuits by hundreds of local governments and school districts that accused the firm of fueling the opioid epidemic by advising drugmakers how to successfully sell the painkillers. According to the lawsuit, McKinsey provided sales analysis and marketing advice to manufacturers to help them sell the highly addictive drug and convince doctors to prescribe them. McKinsey already has paid out more than $640 million to resolve suits over its opioid work, including a suit brought by 50 state attorneys general. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco must approve the settlement. Read more from Fortune.

A federal judge in Atlanta has rejected a bid by an anti-affirmative activist group to bar a venture capital fund from awarding grants to businesses run by Black women, reports Reuters. U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash denied a request by Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights for a preliminary injunction blocking Fearless Fund from considering applications for grants only from businesses led by Black women. Blum's group was behind the U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down affirmative action in college admissions this July. The lawsuit is one of three that Blum's group had filed challenging grant and fellowship programs designed to help give Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented minority groups greater career opportunities.

More than 500 guests filled the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition facilities in Nashville Friday for the 3rd Annual InterNASHional Night Market fundraiser. Featuring food from 23 different vendors from almost that many countries, the event celebrates Nashville’s wide range of immigrant and refugee communities and provides funds for serving those communities. See photos from the event.

The University of Tennessee College of Law announced seven new faculty members today. Lonnie T. Brown Jr., dean and Elvin E. Overton distinguished professor, said in a website announcement that “these talented scholars and teachers bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and immense talent that will further enrich our vibrant law school community.” The new members include Tyler Dougherty, Rebecca Eshbaugh, Kristina Kersey, Nicholas Nugent, Tomer S. Stein, Rachelle Ketchum West and Carlos A. Yunsan. Visit the school’s website to learn more.

The Hawkins County Commission has voted to appoint Amy Skelton as a temporary replacement for Juvenile Court Judge Daniel Boyd, who is currently suspended with pay while facing bribery and forgery charges. Skelton, a 2014 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, is an associate attorney with the Law Office of Mark Skelton and a municipal court judge for Church Hill, Rogersville and Surgoinsville. She will remain in the position until Boyd’s suspension is lifted or through the end of the 2024 election cycle. Hamblen County Juvenile Court and General Sessions Court Judge Janice Snider has been filling in since Boyd was suspended. Boyd was charged with three counts of forgery, one count of criminal simulation and one count of bribery. He turned himself into authorities on Aug. 15. WCYB.com has news of the appointment while the Times News has more about Skelton.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division continued its fall law school visits Tuesday evening with a discussion at the Nashville School of Law. YLD Board members Anthony Adewumi and John Murphy led the discussion. Both are graduates of the award-winning DLI program and encouraged the students to apply, as well as to reach out to lawyers and begin networking with members of the TBA while still in law school. See photos here.

The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general recently filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com, claiming the internet retailer has used illegal tactics to fend off companies that would have risen to challenge its monopoly, reports Reuters. The lawsuit has been expected after years of complaints that Amazon.com and other tech giants have abused their dominance of search, social media and online retailing to become gate keepers on the most lucrative aspects of the internet. The FTC asked the court to issue a permanent injunction ordering Amazon.com to stop its unlawful conduct and to consider "any preliminary or permanent equitable relief, including but not limited to structural relief, necessary to restore fair competition."

The Tennessee foster parents of three immigrant children and a Memphis-based advocacy group have filed suit against the Department of Children's Services for failing to support their immigration needs, reports the Tennessean. The suit claims the state allowed youth in their custody to "age out" of the system without taking advantage of the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status program available to minors. The plaintiffs include a 15-year-old girl abandoned by her parents in Guatemala. DCS investigated her living situation last year, and she was removed from a relative's home after she became pregnant. She is now in a foster home, attending high school and raising her baby, the lawsuit states. Without legal status, she is at risk for deportation, though she wishes to stay in the U.S. with her child, a U.S. citizen.