The state’s AI Council met for the first time this year as members began setting a “roadmap” to transition from planning to implementation, the Tennessee Journal reports. At its last meeting in November, the council approved recommendations for the governor in areas including workforce development, education and government operations. “Since the report was issued in November, which was a great milestone for this council, we're moving from vision-setting to really operationalizing,” said Finance Commissioner Jim Bryson.

Two nonprofits are suing the city of Memphis, alleging it unlawfully denied access to Memphis Police Department (MPD) records. According to the Daily Memphian, Stand for Children Tennessee and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have filed suit after the city declined to provide records related to the 2024 U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) civil rights investigation into the department. The groups are seeking use-of-force reports and field investigation memos to determine whether MPD addressed concerns outlined by the DOJ. Their public records request was filed in May 2025. The investigative findings, published under former President Joe Biden’s administration, cited concerns about MPD’s treatment of Black residents, people with disabilities and children. After President Donald Trump took office, negotiations over remedies ended and the findings were rescinded.

Gov. Bill Lee signed SB16 into law this week, allowing Tennessee high school athletes to gain immediate eligibility after one transfer beginning July 1. The law expands eligibility for student-athletes in grades 6-8 and 9-12 who transfer schools for the first time during the summer without making a bona fide change of address, provided other requirements are met, Knox News reports. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, which governs high school sports in the state, worked with bill sponsors on the legislation and is expected to present bylaw revisions to its Legislative Council in April to comply with the new law. Traditionally, many state athletic associations have denied immediate eligibility to transferring student-athletes unless they moved into a new school district, though some states, including Tennessee, are shifting to one-time transfer policies.

The family of Conor Dolin, a teen killed in a December 2022 single-vehicle crash in South Knox County, filed a lawsuit this week in Knox County Circuit Court accusing the Knox County Sheriff’s Office of negligence. The suit seeks $10 million in damages from the family of the unlicensed 15-year-old driver and an undisclosed amount from the county. According to Knox News, the lawsuit alleges the sheriff’s office lost the initial investigative file, deleted body camera footage, failed to conduct a crash reconstruction and did not complete key interviews, which contributed to the district attorney declining to bring charges. The driver's family also is accused of wrongful death, negligent supervision and creating a GoFundMe using Dolin's name and likeness without permission. Dolin's family argues the statute of limitations should begin in April 2025, when they say they first learned the driver was unlicensed and had a history of reckless driving.

In an opinion released today, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that a Grundy County resolution regulating quarry locations is effectively a zoning ordinance enacted in violation of the Tennessee County Zoning Act (CZA). The act requires counties to hold a public hearing and submit proposed ordinances to the regional planning commission before adopting zoning measures. The court found that Grundy County passed the ordinance without complying with those requirements. The suit was brought by two quarry owners after they were informed their property was in violation of a county ordinance requiring quarries to be located more than 5,000 feet away from specified types of establishments. The trial court and Court of Appeals agreed with the county that the ordinance was not a zoning regulation subject to the requirements of the CZA. The Supreme Court unanimously reversed, finding the ordinance divided the county into zones and regulated land use in a manner consistent with zoning, making it subject to the CZA's requirements. Read more in a release from the court.

The Davidson County State Trial Courts are implementing revised Local Rules and Chancery Electronic Filing Rules. Pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 18, the trial court judges of the 20th Judicial District are soliciting and will consider input from members of the public and attorneys concerning the proposed rules. Copies also are available in the Trial Court Administrator’s Office, Ste. 601 of the Historic Metro Courthouse. The deadline for comments is March 31. Comments may be submitted electronically or by mail to the Metro State Trial Court Administrator, 1 Public Square, Ste. 601, Nashville, TN 37201.

At its winter meeting last month, the TBA Board of Governors approved the publication of two proposed bylaws amendments to the membership. The first would acknowledge that judicial districts in Tennessee are changed from time to time and delete the current list of judicial districts and the counties associated with each. It then sets up a process for addressing changes in the membership of the House of Delegates whenever there is a change to a judicial district. The second amendment addresses the terms of TBA delegates to the ABA House of Delegates and acknowledges the addition of Position 6. Rather than setting out specific years for elections, it would provide that Positions 1 and 3 be elected in odd-numbered years while Positions 2, 4, 5 and 6 be elected in even-numbered years. Review a redline version of the proposed changes. Proposed revisions must be posted to the membership for at least 21 days, after which the Board of Governors may vote on them. Comments on the proposed changes should be submitted prior to the board’s spring meeting on March 19 via email to barED@tnbar.org.

A new report found the state lacks sufficient juvenile detention bed space in West Tennessee, forcing some counties to transport youth awaiting court dates to facilities in Middle and East Tennessee. According to WPLN, researchers found that there will be enough capacity for these placements once Department of Children's Services completes the construction of new high-security buildings that were authorized in the agency’s 2023 Real Estate Plan. The General Assembly appropriated more than $300 million for the new facilities. Lawmakers directed the study amid concerns about the state’s reliance on housing children in office buildings and proposed legislation affecting juvenile placements. The report also urged greater oversight of juvenile justice facilities, and emphasized that expanding capacity alone will not improve outcomes for youth, recommending increased investment in community-based alternatives and stronger accountability measures.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s office is the latest to add artificial intelligence to its toolbox, announcing it is now using a locally developed AI to speed case reviews. District Attorney Steve Mulroy said at a press conference that the system could save “thousands of man-hours of work in a given year,” the Commercial Appeal reports. The tool, Foltrigg.ai, was developed by Memphis-based Lokion under Cosmos Holding. It is designed to organize and analyze large volumes of lawfully obtained evidence to help prosecutors identify relevant information more efficiently. Mulroy declined to specify what type of evidence the software would review but said all evidence still will be checked by prosecutors to ensure accuracy and that strict security measures will be in place.

“Lovely One: A Memoir Adapted for Young Adults” by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is now available, according to the Tri-State Defender. The book traces Brown Jackson’s journey from a curious child inspired by her family and her lawyer father to a history-making jurist. In a review of the book, the reporter says the new version takes time to show that Brown Jackson was just an ordinary kid once. “Playing, attending classes she loved and ones she disliked, traveling, spending time with her grandparents, getting a new sibling — these are experiences Jackson shares with young readers, and they’re very engaging. Her narrative, though it uses adult-level language, is easy to grasp and quite relatable for her audience, and her excitement at some of her life’s highlights is delightfully charming.”