The Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, issued its long-awaited decision in Sterling v. City of Jackson, No. 24-60370 (5th Cir. Sept. 4, 2026) — a case that tested whether residents exposed to lead-contaminated municipal drinking water and lied to about
No Constitutional Right to Clean Drinking Water? Fifth Circuit Says Not So Fast
A government may have an environmental, statutory, tort or political obligation to provide safe drinking water without the Constitution itself creating a private right to it.
Strict Parenting Plan Affirmed After Father’s Missteps in Jackson, Tennessee Custody Battle: Cali v. Cali
How far will a court go to keep fighting parents apart for the kids’ sake?
Faces of Food Safety: Meet Alethea ‘Missy’ Payton of the FSIS
By April Haynes, OFO
In Alethea “Missy” Payton’s nearly 31-year career, she has advanced through FSIS in several in-plant positions: food inspector, consumer safety inspector (CSI) and supervisory CSI. She also was a resource management specialist (RMS) from 2017 to
Ability to Pay Alimony Challenged in Jackson, Tennessee Divorce: Pallekonda v. Pallekonda
When can an alimony obligor be found to be voluntarily underemployed in Tennessee?
Son collected dead father’s funds as body decomposed for years, officials say
Randall Freer, 63, passed away unexpectedly this summer in Jackson, CA. However, his death was not the only unexpected event to occur. When the sheriff’s deputy arrived to notify his next-of-kin, another body was discovered. This body was later identified…
Son collected dead father’s funds as body decomposed for years, officials say
Attorney’s Lien Challenged in Jackson, Tennessee Divorce: Baker-Brunkhorst v. Brunkhorst
How does an attorney’s lien work in Tennessee?
Primary Residential Parent Designation Reversed in Jackson, Tennessee Child-Custody Dispute: Deaton v. Williams
Facts: Child was born out of wedlock to unmarried Mother and Father, two recent high school graduates who lived with their parents during the pregnancy. They lived together for approximately five months after Child’s birth before separating and agreeing to
Long-Term Alimony Affirmed in Not-A-Long-Term Marriage in Jackson, Tennessee Divorce: Patel v. Patel
Facts: When the parties married, Wife was an American citizen. After moving to the United States following the wedding, Husband eventually became an American citizen.
At the time of the marriage, Husband was a full-time medical student earning no income.