The NAACP and Clarksville residents are calling for a federal investigation into the death of Darius Chappell, who died July 3. A bystander video from June 29 shows a Clarksville police K-9 restraining and biting Chappell as he was arrested by Montgomery County deputies. According to WPLN, Chappell's family says he needed medical attention while jailed and that calls to the facility went unanswered before he was found unresponsive in his cell. At a July 4 rally, Tennessee NAACP President Gloria Sweet-Love said the community is seeking FBI involvement. Both the Clarksville Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office issued statements pledging internal reviews. The sheriff's office says Chappell was medically evaluated and cleared before booking and received ongoing care in custody. An autopsy is pending, and Chappell's family is consulting legal counsel. The Clarksville Leaf Chronicle also reports on developments.

In a July 8 press conference, Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) leadership declared a "life safety crisis" at the 201 Poplar jail. They cited a month-long air conditioning failure that pushed indoor temperatures above 92 degrees, diesel fuel leaking into the kitchen and a non-functioning fire alarm system requiring manual fire watches. Chief Jailer Kirk Fields said the heat sickened five kitchen staff and 14 inmates, one of whom was hospitalized, and directly blamed Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, who owns the building, for failing to act. Harris's office countered by calling for "stronger operational oversight" from SCSO. Commissioner-elect Mark Billingsley stated that the conditions amount to neglect that would not be tolerated elsewhere and warrant federal intervention. Heat-index values are expected to top 100 degrees over the next 10 days and no long-term fix is in place. The Daily Memphian has the story.

A forensic audit released on July 8 by Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower identified roughly $54 million in transactions flagged as potentially fraudulent, wasteful or abusive within Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS). The amount includes a $250,000 payment for unfinished work and nearly $50 million funneled to a single custodial services vendor despite a committee's recommendation for multiple bidders. The Commercial Appeal reports that the audit, dated June 30, also raised conflict-of-interest concerns tied to contractor Allworld Project Management and found four likely violations of the state Open Meetings Act, including secret deliberations over the firing of former Superintendent Marie Feagins. Mumpower said the findings could support criminal indictments and will be forwarded to local and federal prosecutors. MSCS said it is conducting a comprehensive review before issuing a detailed response. Read more in a press release from Mumpower's office.

The Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy (VPOPP) and Justice Innovation Lab (JIL) in June announced the nine local jurisdictions that will be joining the 2026 Justice Innovation Accelerator Cohort. The year-long program, a partnership between VPOPP and JIL, includes virtual sessions over five months culminating in a three-day, in-person workshop at Vanderbilt Law School with six months of follow up. The accelerator helps leaders diagnose root causes of dysfunction in the criminal justice system, build cross-sector partnerships and test data-informed solutions that improve safety, fairness and trust. Read more in a press release from the law school.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti today announced a $45 million multistate settlement with Block Inc., the company behind the popular peer-to-peer payments app Cash App. The settlement resolves allegations that Block misled consumers about the safety of Cash App, failed to protect users from fraud on the platform and did not provide the fraud protection or resolution promised or required by law. Oregon and Texas led the investigation, securing relief for all 46 participating states. Tennessee will receive $737,136.95 in settlement funds. Also today, Skrmetti joined a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt stronger safeguards to make it harder for scammers to obtain legitimate telephone numbers and use them to target consumers. The coalition filed comments supporting proposed FCC rules that would help prevent criminals from exploiting legitimate phone numbers to carry out robocall and text message scams. The request builds on recommendations first made by the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force in 2021. According to Skrmetti, Americans received an estimated 29.6 billion scam robocalls and text messages last year and lost nearly $2 billion to these schemes.

The TBA this week welcomed Jenny Dorsten to the staff! Dorsten joins the association in the new position of education and professional development coordinator of online learning. In this role, she executes and promotes the organization's digital learning programs, focusing on expanding the visibility of these offerings and fostering meaningful engagement among TBA members. Her background is in nonprofit and membership association programming and operations. Dorsten holds a master's degree in public administration from Arizona State University, a bachelor's of science degree from the University of Kansas and a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University. She thrives on creating learning experiences that help members connect, grow and succeed throughout their careers. In her personal life, she enjoys local arts and regional theatre productions and travel with family. Dorsten's contact information is available on the TBA staff webpage.

In a July 1 ruling, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals remanded a civil rights lawsuit over Tyre Nichols' 2023 beating death back to U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman without ruling on whether Memphis Police Department (MPD) Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis is protected from the suit under qualified immunity. Davis had sought to have herself removed from the suit. The Daily Memphian reports that the decision now rests with Lipman, who previously stated she would remove Davis from the suit. Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, had filed a motion to dismiss Davis and five former officers to get the case moving again. The civil rights suit from Wells, filed in April 2023, has dragged on for more than three years and currently is awaiting a new trial date.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals is reviewing a challenge to two state gun laws — the "intent-to-go-armed" statute and a park-carry restriction — but the Tennessee Journal reports that recent oral arguments focused more on whether the state's three-judge chancery panel had authority to hear the cases than on the Second Amendment merits. A trial panel ruled in August 2025 that both laws were unconstitutional, though it did not enjoin enforcement, and the appeals court has stayed that decision pending review. The state argued that such challenges belong in circuit court or should be raised as a defense in criminal proceedings, while plaintiffs' counsel maintained the panel was designed to handle exactly this kind of case. A lawsuit challenging the new laws was filed in 2023 by Gun Owners of America and individual plaintiffs.

North Carolina has become the first U.S. state to ban third-party litigation financing, with Gov. Josh Stein signing House Bill 315 (the Prohibit Litigation Investments Act) into law. Reuters reports that the measure outlaws providing "litigation investment" to parties or counsel in civil cases, lets the attorney general pursue violators and allows injured parties to recover triple damages. It passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support and drew praise from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has pushed unsuccessfully for federal disclosure rules on litigation funding. The law comes as California, Colorado and Illinois consider their own limits on outside investors' influence over legal practice, part of a broader push to regulate the industry.

Justice Kyle Hixson was sworn in as the newest justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court on July 7. The ceremony, presided over by Gov. Bill Lee, was held at the Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. Chief Justice Jeff Bivins spoke, saying, “Justice Hixson, Kyle, we know you will be a great justice on this court. Your combination of intellect, experience, integrity and personality will serve you well. But more importantly, they will allow you to continue your public service as a servant to the people of Tennessee. We welcome you to the Tennessee Supreme Court and congratulations to you, my friend.” Hixson was confirmed by the state legislature in March and began his term on July 1. Lee appointed Hixson to the state Court of Criminal Appeals in 2022 following two years as a criminal court judge. Hixson graduated from the University of Tennessee and the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Holly Kirby. See photos of the ceremony from Knox News and read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.