Wishing you a Safe and Prosperous 2022
As we ring in 2022, let's remember to celebrate safely. If you're going out, be sure to plan a ride in advance. If you're hosting a party, make sure your guests have a plan to get home safely. Some other tips to ensure a safe celebration:
- Set a reasonable curfew with your kids. If they're driving, be sure they understand the dangers of driving on NYE. Encourage them to stay in one location instead of hopping from party to party.
- Avoid leaving your car overnight. Car thefts increase significantly on New Year's Day.
- Don't use fireworks or firearms. Both guns and fireworks frequently make "celebratory" appearances at New Year's Eve parties. Both present safety hazards.
Beyond the Courtroom: Lives Worth Saving
Lives Worth Saving (LWS) began in December 2014 as an effort to honor, educate and empower women while offering a way out of prostitution and the dangerous lifestyle surrounding it. The program was developed after a Memphis police lieutenant urged our prosecutors to find a way to end the non-stop cycle of arresting the same women for prostitution over and over again.
The state legislature had just decriminalized prostitution for juveniles, recognizing these young women are victims, not criminals. We, as prosecutors, recognize this still is true when they are over 18 and are no longer juveniles. Hoping to help women “get out of the life,” we developed the prostitution diversion program LWS to address issues of trauma, abuse, drug addiction, lack of education, and other issues that keep these vulnerable, exploited people in this cycle.
With dedicated partners RestoreCorps and Calvary Episcopal Church, LWS meets the second Thursday of each month where those charged with prostitution are sent by the court to receive information on housing, job training, drug treatment, education opportunities, and other assistance to leave the life on the streets. Successful completion of the program results in the dismissal of the prostitution charge.
Human trafficking, whether by an organization or by an individual, thrives on vulnerable victims who have few options to escape on their own. No one dreams of one day becoming a prostitute. LWS aims to give them the opportunity, the ability and the self-confidence to lead better and safer lives.
Our Special Victims Unit (SVU) handles some of the toughest and most heart-wrenching cases imaginable: shaken-baby homicides, rapes of children, child abuse and neglect, and crimes against vulnerable adults. Prosecuting these cases requires equal amounts of strength and sensitivity.
I’m proud to say that this month the Memphis Child Advocacy Center (CAC) honored Asst. Dist. Atty. Devon Dennis of the SVU with the 2021 James G. Hughes CPIT Excellence Award for Compassion for her exceptional compassion to children and their families.
Devon was nominated by her fellow members of CPIT – the Shelby County Child Protection Investigation Team – which includes 15 agencies that work as a team in responding to reported child sexual abuse and other severe abuse. Numerous volunteers, donors, advocates and community organizations support the CPIT mission.
“We often have to have tough conversations with families and often we speak for children who cannot speak for themselves,” says Devon. “When people ask me ‘How do you handle these cases every day?’ my answer is always that ‘It’s for the kids.’”
Devon said she accepted the Hughes Award on behalf of SVU Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen, the SVU Victim/Witness Coordinators and Criminal Investigators, and all of the CPIT members who work to safeguard the most vulnerable children in the community.
She also worked in SVU as an intern and calls her assignment “the greatest achievement of my life, besides having my own two children.” Watch her acceptance speech here.
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New ADAs Sworn In
This month the SCDAG office welcomed three new Assistant District Attorneys, all starting work on December 1st.
William Wetter works with Team 1. William has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elon University, and a J.D. from American University College of Law. He previously was a Research Assistant for Professor Snape and Law Clerk for the United States Department of Justice (Environmental Crimes Section), both in Washington, D.C.
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Lauren Hutton works with Team 2. Lauren has a B.A. from the University of Tennessee and a J.D. from the University of Memphis School of Law. She previously was an Associate Attorney with Godwin, Morris, Laurenzi & Bloomfield, P.C.
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Rachel Moore works with Team 3. Rachel has a B. A. from the University of Tennessee and a J.D. from the University of Memphis School of Law. She previously was an Extern with our office.
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Our beloved Barbara Colby passed away this month.
Barbara worked as the office receptionist for 30 years under four different District Attorneys before her retirement in 2014. As I said at that time, Barbara was the heart and soul of the office.
Hers was the first face anyone would see when coming to the office, then on the third floor at 201 Poplar. She had a warm smile for everyone. “I’m a people person,” she said, “and I treat everyone like I want to be treated.”
Barbara was an avid fan of the University of Memphis Tigers, and every Friday without fail she wore red, white and blue in honor of the United States military. She was widely traveled, loved the theatre, was an excellent cook, and adored her seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Please keep Barbara’s family in your prayers.
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Annetta Retiring, Will Miss Most of Us
It’s going to be quieter around the office after Dec. 30. That’s Annetta Jackson’s retirement date after 24½ years in the office as a clerk, a receptionist and a daily dispenser of unvarnished free opinions, advice and observations on life in the office.
“It’s time,” she said. “I’m ready to not get up in the morning and come in. I’m not going to miss everybody, but there’s a lot of people I’m going to miss.” Annetta was working as a temp in probation and parole on the 8th floor at 201 Poplar and was delivering mail to the DA’s 3rd floor office when she heard about a job opening there.
A short time later, on July 1, 1997, she was hired as a clerk helping investigators get dockets ready for court. “I guess it was my charming personality,” Annetta said with a laugh. “It was something new to me and I really enjoyed it. I was always watching Madlock and Perry Mason and Columbo so it was interesting to see how a criminal prosecution office worked. It was the Lord shining on me.”
Admittedly outspoken, Annetta said she “bumped heads” with some colleagues over “little bitty stuff” involving paperwork and procedures, but that after a while life in the office was all good…mostly.
Once when a prosecutor brushed a stack of files off his desk and onto the floor because they were not alphabetized, Annetta refused to pick them up. As she recalled: “I told him ‘I’m not your wife, I’m not your maid and I’m not your housekeeper. You have to clean up your own mess.’”
On another occasion, Annetta recalls helping a prosecutor look for a court document, a time-consuming and futile search that she finally declared to be over. “I told him ‘You need to stop beating this dead horse. It’s already dead.’”
After two dozen years I can say with some authority that Annetta has the personality and spunk of 10 people. She is always willing to pitch in to get the job done and when holidays roll around, Annetta is the first one volunteering to organize a gathering—even down to telling you exactly what to bring. You can’t help but smile when you see her in the office –mainly because of the twinkle in her eyes and the fact that you knew she was up to something. We will miss her greatly. Full Story
Man Convicted in Home-Invasion Murder
Cordova Man Indicted in Officer’s 2015 Death
Man Convicted in Long-Term Rape of Daughter
Two Indicted in Gang-Related Killing
Motorist Indicted in Officer’s Death
Employee Indicted in Killing of Theft Suspect
Businessman Indicted in Shooting of Shoplifter
Sex Offender Sentenced in 2006 Rape
Ex-Boyfriend Convicted in Woman’s Murder
When a group of tourists from Dallas found themselves stranded in an isolated part of town last month, our own Marsharee Gatewood - a Criminal Secretary on Vertical Team 1 - jumped in to save the day.
The travelers, in town for a wedding, didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see Graceland for the first time. They rode the trolley to the MATA station, where an employee directed them to the bus and gave them transfer instructions. The first bus dropped them off at Elvis Presley and Norris Road. Unfortunately, the second bus sped past the waiting tourists, and they were stranded on the curb.
The group quickly realized they were in a remote part of town. Once they noticed there were many eyes on them, they began to feel concerned. Their alarm increased as a man exited a convenience store carrying an open beer, and approached them shouting incoherently.
That's when their "guardian angel," Marsharee Gatewood, pulled up in her car. The group explained their situation and Marsharee waited with them to ensure their safety while they called Ubers to get them to their destination. She chased away the shouting man, and made sure no one else approached the group. A few went by Uber, and Marsharee drove the others to Graceland in her personal vehicle. That's not all.
She again went above and beyond, providing the tourists with a ride back to their hotel when their tour was finished. The group requested her office's email address, and I received from them this glowing, yet unsurprising, account and commendation of Marsharee's kindness and generosity. She truly is, as the email from Texas stated, an asset to our office.
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