William “Bill” Ray Martin, age 83, died April 20. A graduate of Memphis State University, Martin became an attorney in 1966 and moved to Lexington to practice law with his wife Pennie. He worked in private practice for many years and later joined the 26th Judicial District as an assistant district attorney in Henderson County until his retirement. In that role, he worked closely with the Carl Perkins Center and supported efforts to help local children and families. He also served as chair of the Henderson County Election Commission. Funeral services were held in April with burial at Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Reagan. Memorial donations may be made to Grace Methodist Church, 89 Natchez Trace Drive, Lexington, TN 38351; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105; or the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, P.O. Box 447, Jackson, TN 38302.

The Davidson County Circuit Court will hold a portrait unveiling for the late Judge Philip Smith, who presided over the 4th Circuit Court for 13 years. The event will take place on Aug. 14 at 2 p.m. CDT in Courtroom 607 at the Historic Metro Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Nashville 37201. A reception will follow. View the invitation.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on July 18 approved new appointments to the Tennessee State Advisory Committee. The commission maintains advisory committees in each state, which are tasked with conducting civil rights studies specific to that area and making recommendations to the commission. Brandon Smith has been named chair of the Tennessee committee. Other members include: Nicholas Barry, Gale Jones Carson, Larry Crain, Luke Cymbal, Chicoya Smith Gallman, Kathleen Harms, William Terry Ladd III, William Morgan Denise Smith-Martinez, Kyontha Nelson, Muriel Malone Nolen, Kymberly Whitaker and Stelle Marie Yarbrough. Read more in a release from the commission.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is preparing to shut down seven major investigations into alleged housing discrimination and segregation across the South and Midwest, including some in which the agency had already found civil rights violations, The Commercial Appeal reports. In Memphis, the investigation being shuttered centered on claims that the city and Memphis Light, Gas and Water coerced residents of a poor Black neighborhood to sell their homes to make way for a new utility facility. Read the complaint filed by a city resident. HUD says the moves come in response to a  presidential executive order eliminating federal enforcement of “disparate-impact liability." According to a memo from the department, HUD no longer will "interpret environmental impacts as violations of fair housing law absent a showing of intentional discrimination.”

An undisclosed number of Knoxville firefighters are under investigation after crews pronounced a woman dead, but a medical examiner later found signs of life and revived her. The Knoxville Fire Department is conducting an internal investigation and firefighters involved have been placed on administrative duty, Knox News reports. The incident occurred last week after the Knoxville Police Department responded to a call about an unresponsive woman. Firefighters pronounced the woman dead shortly after she was found. When examiners from the Knox County Regional Forensic Center arrived, a death investigator observed signs of life, administered Narcan and performed CPR. The woman was then transported to a hospital. Her family has since contacted the investigator to report she is improving. Firefighters involved will remain on paid administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

Former Tennessee state representative Jeremy Durham has been sentenced after being found guilty on multiple charges according to NewsChannel 5. He received a one-year jail sentence with all but seven days suspended, one year of probation, a $350 fine and a one-year suspension of his driver’s license. Durham was convicted in May on five of six charges, including two counts of driving under the influence, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. The charges stemmed from a crash in downtown Nashville in which Durham sideswiped another vehicle. The victim testified he experienced whiplash from the incident and missed two weeks of work as a result. It was Durham’s second DUI offense in less than two years. He was expelled from the legislature in 2016 following an investigation that found he had sent inappropriate text messages to several women.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced the restoration of nearly $7 million in annual Title X health care funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funding — previously revoked in 2023 due to the state’s abortion laws — will go to the Tennessee Department of Health to support prenatal care, health screenings, counseling and education services. Tennessee has administered Title X funds for five decades and was awarded a five-year grant in 2022 before the Biden administration halted funding. The attorney general’s office filed suit, arguing the administration’s abortion-related mandates exceeded Title X authority. In May, the HHS agreed to restore the funds and drop enforcement of those mandates. “Our Office is gratified that HHS has restored these grant funds, which will provide thousands of Tennesseans, especially expectant mothers, with important healthcare resources,” Skrmetti said in a press release.

Circuit Court Judge Kathryn “Katy” Olita recently was elected president of the Tennessee Trial Judges Association (TTJA), becoming the first woman and the first judge from the 19th Judicial District to hold the position. “I’m excited about continuing to do the good work that our organization has done, especially over the last couple of years,” Olita said. “There’s been a lot of good cooperation between the [Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)] and the TTJA, and even the leadership of the appellate courts. We’ve kind of all found this uniform way of trying to make sure everybody is looked out for ... so I’m very encouraged by all of that and want to continue that work while I’m the president.” Olita also has appointed 1st Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Stacy Street as vice president, 12th Judicial District Chancellor Melissa Willis as secretary, and 29th Judicial District Chancellor Tony Childress as treasurer of the group. The TTJA is a non-partisan association of circuit, criminal and chancery court judges and is dedicated to maintaining a fair, independent and efficient judiciary. Read more in a press release.

Another inmate at the Shelby County Jail has died, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said in an emailed statement Tuesday. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) also confirmed it has been asked to investigate the death, The Daily Memphian reports. TBI identified the man as Rockez McDaniel and said an autopsy is being performed to determine the cause and manner of death. McDaniel was found experiencing a medical emergency at the jail on Monday and was transported to Regional One Health, where he later was pronounced dead. He had been in the jail for more than a week on charges of escape and evading arrest. McDaniel is at least the sixth inmate to die at the jail this year and the 63rd since 2019. His death also is the second this year in which TBI has been asked to investigate.

The TBA's Estate Planning Tee-Off is returning on Sept. 12 to Nashville's Topgolf. Produced by the Estate Planning & Probate Section, this annual favorite will feature three hours of CLE programming designed for attorneys new to the estate planning practice as well as those interested in adding this field to their portfolio. Don't miss this unique opportunity to build practice knowledge and fine-tune your drive game all in one day! Registration includes breakfast, lunch and two hours of Topgolf following the presentations. Get more information and register here. Section members enjoy discounted registration. Not a section member? Join now for additional savings and benefits. Thanks to our lunch sponsor Pinnacle Financial Partners, golf experience sponsor Southeastern Trust Company and breakfast sponsor Diversified Trust.