Five Tennessee cities have some of the highest rates of gun violence in the nation according to a new report from the nonprofit Community Justice. According to WPLN, the group’s 2025 Violence Prevention Index ranked Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville among the nation’s highest for gun violence but noted some progress in tackling contributing factors such as housing insecurity and lack of access to mental health resources. The report comes after the Trump administration cut $145 million in Department of Justice grants for community violence intervention programs. Memphis was the only Tennessee city to show major improvement since last year's assessment. The improvement was credited to a new Office of Neighborhood Safety and expanded victim services and school-based violence prevention programs.

Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, has won the Democratic nomination in the special primary for the state’s 7th Congressional District, defeating three other candidates in the district’s first four-way Democratic primary in decades, The Tennessean reports. Behn will face Republican nominee Matt Van Epps in the Dec. 2 general election. Van Epps, who defeated eight rivals for the Republican nomination, earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who held a tele-rally on the eve of the election calling Van Epps “very special” and “a true champion for the people of the Seventh District.” The winner in December will replace retired U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who stepped down in July.

Nashville attorney Raymond T. “Chip” Throckmorton III died Oct. 1 at age 60. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1988 and earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 1993. Throckmorton practiced law for more than 30 years and served as mayor of Oak Hill from 2002 to 2006. A memorial service will be held at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Nov. 1 at First Presbyterian Church of Nashville, 4815 Franklin Pike, Nashville 37220. Visitation will be held beforehand in Courtenay Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Despite a state law passed in 2021 prohibiting solitary confinement for longer than two consecutive hours in juvenile detention centers, reporting from MLK50 reveals that the Shelby County Youth and Justice Center has been holding teens as young as 13 in seclusion since 2023. Records show that the Memphis-Shelby County’s Juvenile Court has been aware that youth in one unit are separated from the general population and confined to their cells for most of the day since at least 2024. During the same time period, juvenile court magistrates incarcerated more youth at the center than the previous court administration, even as the number of youth charged with serious offenses declined. Meanwhile, inspection records show Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) has been aware that youth in one unit are separated from the general population since at least 2024.

The Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection on Oct. 7 paid a $2,040.78 claim filed against Roane County lawyer Christopher Shawn Roberts. The fund also directed Roberts to reimburse the fund. The fund was established by the Tennessee Supreme Court to reimburse individuals for losses caused by dishonest conduct by attorneys. The fund is operated by a board, which meets quarterly to consider claims. In September 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court amended Rule 25 to require the fund to notify the Tennessee Bar Association of claims paid. News releases also are posted online.

Millions of Americans, including more than 668,000 Tennesseans, could lose access to food assistance programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if a government shutdown continues. Axios reports that WIC could run out of funds within weeks, while SNAP benefits are only guaranteed through this month. Tennessee officials say WIC will continue operating for now as the state monitors the situation and awaits federal guidance.

Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis has told city commissioners that roughly 700 to 900 federal law enforcement officers are currently in Memphis as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, with National Guard deployments expected by Friday. Davis said the Guard’s role will focus on visibility and deterrence rather than direct policing, and MPD is coordinating with federal analysts to identify gang activity. According to the Daily Memphian, Davis emphasized that federal assistance is long overdue but not a permanent solution to crime, and noted that both local and federal agencies are tracking overlapping enforcement data. Davis also highlighted falling crime rates — including a decline in homicides and aggravated assaults — and pointed to expanded downtown surveillance and new command centers as key safety improvements. The Commercial Appeal also reports on the developments.

The White House reportedly has offered nine universities, including Vanderbilt University, financial incentives in exchange for signing a “Compact for Academic Excellence,” which would require the schools to align campus and hiring policies with administration guidelines. The Nashville Post reports that the compact includes measures such as banning race- or sex-based admissions, freezing tuition, capping international enrollment and enforcing the government’s gender definitions in campus facilities and sports. In exchange for signing the compact, schools would get privileged access to federal funds. Vanderbilt confirmed receipt of the proposal, which it says it is "carefully reviewing."

The city of Columbia on Oct. 3 unveiled a statue of Thurgood Marshall to represent the former Supreme Court justice's time in the city following the 1946 Columbia Uprising nearly 80 years ago. The Daily Herald reports that in addition to the statue, the monument features four historical markers telling the story of the uprising and Marshall's role in the aftermath. Chancellor Doug Jenkins, president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, spoke during the dedication ceremony, saying the Marshall statue was "proper" so that "your community will always remember his association with it and your role in the larger struggle occurring at the time. ... To those whose energy and admiration to make this happen, thank you."

TBA members gathered for a special event which combined two TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) CLE series: "Does it Please the Court?" and "Exploration." The day began with YLD President-elect Jen Sneed leading a discussion with Tennessee Supreme Court Justices Holly Kirby and Mary Wagner on a variety of topics relevant to the Tennessee legal community. Next, YLD Membership Chair Patrick Morrison led a discussion with Jessica Van Dyke from the Tennessee Innocence Project. After a ranger-led hike and lunch, YLD Past President Quinton Thompson moderated a panel with Memphis attorneys Constance Brown, Nicole Grida, Will Perry and Faith Watson on "The Ethics of Saying No." This event marked the inaugural "Does it Please the Court?" CLE. The next one in the series, From First Generation to the Bench, will be a webcast on Nov. 20 at noon CST. This was the third installment of the Exploration series which seeks to blend professional development and the peace and beauty of Tennessee State Parks. See photos from the event.