U.S. House of Representatives leaders are renewing efforts to pass legislation that would prohibit the display of any flag other than the U.S. flag on federal buildings. According to the Kingsport Reporter, Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Kingsport, is reintroducing the One Flag For All Act, which she initially sponsored in response to an incident during President Joe Biden's administration when the pride flag was flown at the White House. The proposed legislation reflects ongoing debates about which symbols should be displayed on government properties and how these choices reflect broader societal values.

A bill introduced in the statehouse by Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, and Sen. Becky Massey, R-Knoxville, would require changes to Tennessee’s gun surrender form, mandating that the name, address and signature of the recipient of dispossessed firearms be included. Currently, Tennessee is one of about a dozen states that allows individuals ordered to surrender their guns to give them to a third party, such as a friend or relative, without requiring the third party's identification in court. According to WPLN news, this lack of oversight has raised concerns, as people could claim to have surrendered their firearms while still retaining access to them. Tennessee consistently has one of the highest rates of women killed by men, and most of those homicides are committed with guns. The legislation was inspired by WPLN and ProPublica’s reporting in Scott County, which Keisling represents, where the local court system amended the state form to identify the third party in an effort to improve accountability.

Electronic voting for the TBA's vice presidential election closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. CST. Members should have received an email on Jan. 31 with a ballot for the two candidates running for vice president. The email was sent from Intelliscan Inc. If you did not receive the email in your inbox, please check your spam folder or with your firm’s IT administrator. If you have any questions about the election process, please contact elections@tnbar.org.

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty announced his reelection bid this week, ending speculation about a potential gubernatorial bid, The Hill reports. A former businessman and U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Hagerty was elected as Tennessee’s junior senator in 2020, beating Democrat Marquita Bradshaw with 62% of the vote. The decision leaves the state’s senior U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn as the highest profile Republican to express interest in a gubernatorial run. Other Republicans who have indicated interest in succeeding Gov. Bill Lee, who is term limited, include U.S. Rep. John Rose, state Sen. Page Walley of Savannah and CoreCivic President Damon Hininger, Tennessee Journal reports.

U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson today blocked parts of two presidential executive orders that sought to restrict federal funding for transgender activities, The Hill reports. The orders banned federal funds from being used to “promote gender ideology” or provide gender-transition treatments for minors. The Hill reports that the Maryland-based judge found that a group of transgender teens and LGBTQ organizations represented by the ACLU were likely to prevail on their claims. The groups argued that the orders amounted to illegal and unconstitutional discrimination. The government argued that the challenge was premature because regulations have not yet been written to implement the executive orders. A second suit challenging the orders is expected to be heard by a judge in Seattle tomorrow.

A Shelby County jury convicted Defendant, Mitchell Hopkins, of attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault while acting in concert with two or more people, reckless endangerment by discharging a firearm into an occupied habitation, and the employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The trial court imposed an effective twenty-one-year sentence. On appeal, Defendant contends that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions; (2) the trial court erred in denying his motions for a severance and for a mistrial and in admitting statements from a non-testifying co- defendant; and (3) the trial court erred in admitting a video compilation. Upon review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The Daily Memphian reports that 15 people have applied to fill the General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Division 7 position being vacated by Bill Anderson, who will retire at the end of the month. They are: Mischelle Alexander-Best, Taylor Bachelor, Zach Bair, Reagan Taylor Fondren, Lora Fowler, Serena Gray, Rhonda Harris, Loyce Lambert-Ryan, Omar Malik, John Marshall, Brian Mounce, Kathryn Mozingo, Caleb Sanders, Dewun Settle and Ryan Wiley. The Shelby County Commission will interview all applicants on Feb. 19 and make an appointment on Feb. 24. The successful candidate will serve through a special election in 2026, which will fill the remainder of Anderson’s eight-year term. Anderson last won reelection in 2022.

A Decatur County jury convicted the Petitioner, Brendan Nathan Morgan, of aggravated sexual battery, and the trial court sentenced him to a term of ten years imprisonment. Thereafter, he filed a petition for post-conviction relief, asserting that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at his trial. In relevant part, the Petitioner alleged that his trial counsel failed to conduct an adequate investigation, failed to adequately communicate with him, and failed to review the pretrial discovery with him before trial. After holding a hearing, the post-conviction court denied relief, and the Petitioner appealed. Upon our review, we respectfully affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

In its annual report, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office is touting new initiatives that have led to a drop in crime. In an interview with The Commercial Appeal, DA Steve Mulroy described new crime-fighting initiatives, including the V11 program, which aims to expedite the prosecution of violent crimes, a 60% increase in trials, and a focus on shuttering or remediating nuisance properties. According to statistics from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, crime in Memphis was significantly lower than 2023's near-record highs. "The decreases are pretty significant," Mulroy said. "It's coming down from an unacceptably high level, and it's still too high, and we all have to acknowledge that, but five consecutive quarters of downward trends is a positive sign." Looking ahead, Mulroy says his office needs more paralegals as well as prosecutors in the Domestic Violence Unit, the Special Victims Unit and the Crime Strategies and Narcotics Prosecution Unit.

Florida lawyer Darian Boos Taylor was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Feb. 7. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Taylor was placed on inactive status more than five years ago, on March 5, 2019. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Taylor’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory. The court issued the reinstatement order on Feb. 11.