Tennessee
Tennessee lawsuit over online ministers performing marriages continues
- The Common Life Church Monastery permits individuals to change into ordained ministers on-line.
- Tennessee state regulation regulates who can carry out marriages, particularly blocking on-line ministers
- A 2019 regulation added attainable felony fees for flouting the ban
A federal lawsuit difficult Tennessee’s ban on online-ordained ministers performing marriages can go forward, the sixth U.S. Circuit Court docket of Appeals dominated this week.
The swimsuit, which argues partially {that a} 2019 regulation violates spiritual protections of the First Modification, has been mired in questions over a procedural tangle on sovereign immunity that would have killed the swimsuit in early phases.
The Common Life Church Monastery, a ministry that ordains ministers on-line, sued Tennessee over the regulation in 2019. They argued in authorized filings that the regulation violates the structure by discriminating in opposition to “sure religions or spiritual denominations.”
The regulation, the swimsuit says, “prefers” sure denominations as a result of it permits some ministers to solemnize marriages whereas stopping these with “on-line ordinations.”
Chief U.S. Circuit Choose Jeffrey S. Sutton and judges Jane Branstetter Stranch and John Ok. Bush heard arguments and joined Friday’s opinion, penned by Bush.
The appellate court docket thought of the state’s movement to dismiss and in the end upheld that sure on-line ministers have standing and a number of other defendants, together with district attorneys in Rutherford, Hamilton and Putnam counties, are usually not immune.
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Tennessee has lengthy regulated who can preside over weddings, Bush wrote within the opinion, all the way in which again to a 1778 act. In opinions from the state legal professional common and actions by lawmakers, Tennessee has chipped away on the capacity of ULC ministers, and people equally ordained, to legally “solemnize the correct of matrimony.”
The 2019 regulation clarified legal penalties — a Class E felony punishable by one to 6 years in jail and a $3,000 fantastic — could possibly be levied in opposition to an online-ordained minister in some circumstances.
The crime could be prosecuted as somebody making a false entry in a authorities report — “as an example, by claiming to have solemnized a wedding regardless of knowingly missing the requisite authority,” Bush defined.
Lawmakers raised considerations the power to change into ordained by filling out a easy kind on-line, as ULC presents, falls wanting the regulation’s necessities that the particular person being ordained did in order a “thought of, deliberate and accountable act.” That argument has been echoed by attorneys for the state within the ongoing litigation.
U.S. District Choose Waverly Crenshaw in 2019 stated the swimsuit raised “severe constitutional points” that ought to be thought of at trial.
He issued an injunction permitting ministers ordained on-line to proceed to carry out authorized marriages.
Appellate judges dominated solely on the immunity query, not the constitutionality of the regulation. The case will proceed within the U.S. District Court docket in Center Tennessee.
Learn the complete opinion under:
Attain reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.
Tennessee
Razorbacks Running Back To Miss Chance to Play No. 4 Tennessee
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The SEC has released the initial availability report for the Tennessee, Arkansas game.
The Razorbacks will be without offensive lineman Patrick Kutas for the sixth straight game and defensive back Jaylon Braxton for the fourth straight game. Fellow defensive back Hudson Clark was upgraded to probable after missing the past three weeks.
Arkansas will be without No. 2 running back Rodney Hill for the first time this season after seeing action in all six. The Razorbacks will get back running back Rashod Dubinion from suspension, coach Sam Pittman announced Monday.
The Razorbacks’ tight end depth will be tested, with three appearing on the report. Andreas Paaske is listed as doubtful after missing the previous two games. Ty Washington and Luke Hasz are both listed as questionable.
The full availability report for both teams is listed below. It will be updated up until 90 minutes before kickoff, per SEC reporting policy.
Tennessee:
DB Jordan Thomas, Out
DB John Slaughter, Out
LB Edwin Spillman, Out
DB Montrell Bandy, Out
Arkansas:
DB Jaylon Braxton, Out
DB Miguel Mitchell, Out
RB Rodney Hill, Out
OL Patrick Kutas, Out
WR Khafre Brown, Out
TE Andreas Paaske, Doubtful
TE Luke Hasz, Questionable
TE Ty Washington, Questionable
DB Hudson Clark, Probable
WR Monte Harrison, Probable
Kickoff between No. 4 Tennessee and Arkansas is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
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Tennessee
Titans Opponent Loses All-Pro LB
The Tennessee Titans may have been granted a reprieve in their schedule during the month of October.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the NFL has suspended Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller for four games after violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
This means Miller won’t be able to return until Week 9 at the earliest, which confirms his absence for Week 7 when the Bills play the Titans in Buffalo.
This is a big loss for the Bills considering Miller has been enjoying a bounce back season so far. After playing in 12 games last year for Buffalo recording just three tackles, Miller has made three sacks so far this season in just four games as the Bills have marched on to a 3-1 record to start the season.
At 35 years old, the former No. 2 overall pick is proving that he still has some gas in the tank and that he shouldn’t be ruled out as a contributor moving forward.
However, his four-game suspension certainly halts his momentum, and that’s a big loss for the Bills.
The Titans should be lucky that they won’t be seeing Miller this season. In five career games against the Titans, Miller has 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks, so he won’t be able to add to those totals in this next meeting.
The offensive line has struggled so far this season, allowing 16 sacks. Will Levis is the third-most sacked quarterback in the NFL behind Cleveland Browns star Deshaun Watson and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
The Bills defense is still scary without Miller, but they will be short-handed against the Titans when they come to western New York later in the month.
For now, the Titans will enjoy their bye and then begin to prepare for their game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6 before focusing on the Bills in Week 7.
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Tennessee
Rapoport: Titans remain committed to Will Levis as QB1 when healthy
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