Shelby County Sheriff and Memphis mayoral candidate Floyd Bonner Jr. has claimed, for the second time in two weeks, that video footage of Gershun Freeman's death at the Shelby County Jail in October 2022 was released illegally. Bonner alleges that release of the video was improper and "skews the process." However, a Tennessee First Amendment expert disputed Bonner's claim, stating that there is no legal basis to support his assertion that the video's release was illegal. Bonner has also raised concerns about the handling of the case by Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk and questioned potential political motivations behind the investigation. The Daily Memphian has the story.

Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski and Wall PLLC (HSGLaW) has filed a lawsuit against another successor firm of the dissolved Nashville law firm Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings. The Nashville Post reports that HSGLaW alleges that Stranch, Jennings & Garvey owes it more than $200,000 as part of agreements made during the dissolution process earlier this year. The dispute centers on various financial obligations, including payroll costs, employee benefits and severance payments.

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law announces the hiring of Joseph D. "Jody” Prestia and Matthew D. van Dalen as visiting assistant professors of law. Prestia is certified as an information privacy professional through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He researches and writes about data privacy and cybersecurity law, frequently in a comparative or international context. Prestia is the immediate past chair of the Tennessee Bar Association’s International Law Section. Van Dalen retired from the U.S. Air Force after almost 25 years serving as an attorney in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Prior to retirement in Tennessee, he practiced extensively as a criminal prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and criminal trial judge in over 250 criminal trials.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett has announced that the theme for the 2023 Civics Essay Contest for Tennessee students from pre-K to 12th grade is “Why Civility Matters.” Civics Essay Contest winners will receive a TNStars 529 College Savings Program scholarship and a trip to the state capitol. All Tennessee students in public, private school or home school associations are encouraged to participate. To view contest rules and submit essays online through Dec. 15, visit sos.tn.gov/civics-essay-contest.

Tennessee State University (TSU) President Glenda Glover is urging the state to provide additional funding to address a decades-long shortfall. A 2021 report found that the state had underfunded TSU by $544 million in matching funds for land grant institutions. A recent letter from the U.S. departments of education and agriculture highlighted that historically Black land grant institutions like TSU had been significantly shortchanged compared to predominantly white land grant universities, leading to a "severe financial gap" of over $2.1 billion for TSU from 1987 to 2020. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the university is calling for the state to address this disparity over several years in its budget.

The American Bar Association’s newly created Task Force on the Law and Artificial Intelligence will provide practical information to help lawyers navigate and responsibly use AI, as well as recommendations and reports on these key issues. The task force will host a series of programs, beginning with “AI Governance: A Conversation with Reva Schwartz of the National Institute of Standards and Technology About NIST’s New AI Risk Management Framework” on Sept. 28. Register for this free event here.

Bill Adams, the American Bar Association’s (ABA) managing director for accreditation and legal education since 2020, will step down from the position next spring. Adams also served as deputy director for nearly six years prior to taking his current post. In his position as managing director, he has helped steer both the 15,500-member ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and its governing council, which serves as an independent arm of the ABA for accreditation of U.S. law schools. A nationwide search for his successor has been launched.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance has issued a consumer alert regarding the Chattanooga-based accounting firm Croft & Frost, which appears to have abruptly ceased operations. For more information on actions to take or filing a complaint, see this memo from the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy.

Since the introduction of a reformed bail system in Shelby County, data reveals an increase in the average bail amounts for defendants facing violent charges when they are initially booked at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center. However, bail amounts for non-violent offenses have decreased since the new bail hearing room opened. The changes reserve pretrial detention for individuals accused of serious, violent offenses and allows others the opportunity to secure release regardless of their financial situation. There are ongoing discussions and calls for increased transparency regarding the new bail system, with some officials and critics expressing concerns about the impact of low bail amounts on public safety. The Commercial Appeal has the story.

The U.S. has been hit by a record-breaking 23 billion-dollar disasters so far in 2023, with Tennessee suffering from 10 of them. These disasters, primarily caused by windstorms and thunderstorms, have resulted in significant damage ranging from $2 to $5 billion across the state. WPLN reports that the increase in billion-dollar disasters is part of a national trend exacerbated by climate change.