Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd’s bond was revoked today following a hearing where prosecutors argued she violated a number of bond conditions. Prosecutors said she failed two recent drug tests — one on March 12 and one on March 15 — and did not report for two additional drug screens on March 23 and 25. They also told the judge that she failed to report to Shelby County pretrial services or make weekly call-ins with the department. The Daily Memphian reports that Boyd will remain incarcerated until her trial begins on April 24, unless she pleads guilty before then. Boyd had been out on a $5,000 bond since Dec. 13, 2023. In related news, state legislators will vote on April 4 on whether to remove Boyd from office. The Daily Memphian has that story as well.

TBA's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, by TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Williamson County attorney David R. Grimmett, is now available to watch online. The pair talked about the need to increase the hourly rate and cap for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent, and expressed support for the Administrative Office of the Court’s budget request of $26.145 million to raise the hourly rate to $80 per hour. Following their testimony, the committee approved a motion in support of adding $26.145 million to the governor's budget for that purpose. The funds ultimately will be decided through budget negotiations between the administration and the legislature. Watch the TBA's testimony beginning at 17:08.

One of Nashville’s largest law firms is leaving its downtown office and downsizing its space, the Nashville Business Journal reports. According to the journal, Butler Snow has signed a 31,000-square-foot lease for the top two floors of a new office tower in Germantown’s Neuhoff District. The firm currently has offices at the Pinnacle at Symphony Place, occupying 46,000-square-feet on the 15th and 16th floors. In explaining the move, firm chair Chris Maddux said, “After a lengthy search, we concluded that Neuhoff was the best fit for our firm’s future.” Its “combination of striking architecture and the dynamic mix of retail and amenities will provide an elevated experience for both our team and our clients.” The firm is one of several tenants leaving the downtown tower. Bass, Berry & Sims previously announced it would move to Nashville Yards.

The TBA’s International Law Section will host its annual forum on May 17 in Nashville. Brie Knox, director of U.S. Commercial Service Tennessee/U.S. Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration, will be among the speakers at this informative program. Additional details will be announced soon. Watch the registration page for updates.

TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Williamson County attorney David R. Grimmett testified this week before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the need to increase the hourly rate and cap for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent. In her statement, Wright said, “Tennessee’s court-appointed attorneys, who represent indigent citizens statutorily and constitutionally entitled to legal counsel, are the lowest paid in the country, and have not had their hourly reimbursement rate raised in 26 years.” Grimmett ended his testimony by stating, “On behalf of the juvenile court bar and every appointed counsel in this state, I am begging you to raise the rate for appointed counsel so that we can find a voice for these children and these families.” Wright and Grimmett agreed they support the Administrative Office of the Court’s (AOC) budget request of $26.145 million to raise the hourly rate for court appointed attorneys to $80 per hour, which was not included in the governor’s budget or his supplemental budget. However, Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, chair of the committee, made a motion after Wright and Grimmett’s testimony to amend the governor’s budget to add the $26.145 million in increased recurring funding to the AOC for indigent representation; this motion passed unanimously and will be signed by the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The funds will ultimately be decided through budget negotiations between the administration and the legislature. Watch the TBA's testimony beginning at 17:08 or see photos from the day.

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland will be the new head of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, reports the Daily Memphian. The announcement follows the law school telling staff Strickland was the preferred candidate in an email two weeks ago. Strickland is an alumnus of both the law school and the university, and he was a practicing attorney until he became mayor in 2016. Strickland will join the law school’s faculty as a professor of practice April 8 and become dean June 1. Current Dean Katharine T. Schaffzin announced to the law school community in August of last year that she would step down at the end of the school year.

A national group representing the Satanic Temple filed a lawsuit against Memphis-Shelby County Schools alleging it violated the organization’s First Amendment right to free assembly when it blocked the After School Satan Club (ASSC) from meeting at Chimneyrock Elementary School. According to the Tennessee Lookout, a representative of the group contacted school district officials in November of last year to request space for club meetings at the same rate charged to other after-school groups, including the Good News Club, a group sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship. The lawsuit alleges Memphis Schools charged ASSC “exorbitant” fees, including a $2,045 “special security fee” for additional security officers if it wanted to host a meeting, while not assessing a similar fee to other nonprofit organizations meeting at school facilities.

A bill that would increase the penalty for making a threat of mass violence against a Tennessee school has passed the House 90-0. WCYB reports that the bipartisan HB2198/SB2263, introduced by Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, and Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, "increases the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony," according to Mitchell. The Senate Judiciary Committee was set to take up the bill this week but deferred it to next week.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in a case that could have sweeping consequences for all Americans’ access to mifepristone, a widely used abortion pill. According to The Hill, the court is essentially being asked to uphold an appeals court ruling that overrides a series of changes made by the Food and Drug Administration over the past decade, including increasing the gestational age at which mifepristone can be used to up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, allowing the medication to be mailed to patients, lowering the dosage, allowing telehealth prescribing and permitting providers other than physicians to prescribe the drug.

Denton Loudermill, a Kansas City-area resident, on Monday sued U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett in federal court. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that after a fatal shooting at a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration on Feb. 14, Burchett tweeted a photo of Loudermill, falsely saying he was one of the shooters and was an illegal resident. Neither is true. Loudermill's suit alleges that the false tweet from the congressman caused him distress and he is seeking $75,000 due to the "highly offensive" nature of the accusations. Loudermill was arrested because he was suspected of being drunk in public; he was released and police never suspected he was connected to the shooting.