Chase Harris Case
Chase Harris, who is alleged to be involved in the Huey's shooting, is now in custody. Consistent with our normal practice and with our prior public statements on this, we sought pretrial detention for Mr. Harris at the first opportunity because of his recent record of repeated offenses.
We obtained an indictment against Mr. Harris this past Tuesday (May 23) for various theft offenses. He is currently in custody.
If he makes his bond of $210, 000 through a bonding company, there will be a "source hearing" to determine whether he obtained the bail funds from legal sources. We will seek continued detention pending such hearing.
Thanks to the Memphis Police Department and the U.S. Marshals for their assistance in presenting the case to the grand jury, and in placing Mr. Harris in custody.
[Note: Last Friday’s weekly email newsletter from Mayor Strickland erroneously stated that our office still had not moved to revoke Mr. Harris’ bond. This was incorrect. We had made such a motion three days before (Tues. May 16), consistent with our public statements on this case from the prior week, and less than a week after his arrest in the Huey’s incident. Mayor Strickland has acknowledged the error, and has agreed to issue a correction tomorrow in his next weekly update.]
More On Bail
It is important to point out, the DA’s office does not set bonds. In a case like this, our office does not get involved in even recommending bonds until the bond hearing 72 hours after arrest. We will continue to seek pretrial detention where the facts suggest the defendant poses a risk of flight or re-offense.
Because the bail decision in this case, and most of the other recent high-profile controversial bail decisions, was made prior to the 72-hour hearing, they were not the result of the new bail procedure (see The Commercial Appeal article below under “SCDAG Office In The News"). Further, such cases are not typical. For more on the bail issue, read DA Mulroy's op-ed on bail here.
 This week, DA Mulroy attended a meeting of the American Law Institute (ALI) in Washington, D.C. The ALI is an organization made up of judges, professors, and practitioners that among other things writes the Model Penal Code, which heavily influences the criminal code of states like Tennessee. While here, he was invited to speak to the staff of the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice (pictured above, DA Mulroy with two officials from the DOJ).
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The National Black Lawyers have named our own ADA Brittany Neal as one of their Top 40 Under 40 Black Lawyers in the state of Tennessee. This honor is given to only the top 40 under 40 African American lawyers in each state or region with reputations for providing excellent legal representation in their respective practice areas. The National Black Lawyers is "a professional organization that celebrates legal excellence and promotes our attorneys as subject-matter experts, facilitates the exchange of timely information to enable our members to maintain their status as leaders, and represents a strong national network of top African American attorneys."
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 Last Saturday, Community Prosecutor (Austin Peay Precinct) ADA Lora Fowler represented the SCDAG Office at Frayser Community Schools Day. Our office donated household supplies (laundry detergent, dish detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, and garbage bags) for Frayser families, as well as school supplies and gift cards. We are proud of our Community Prosecutors and all the good work they do in the communities they serve.
From The Commercial Appeal: Memphis teen accused in Huey's shootout never went through new bail-hearing process
"The new details about how Harris was able to post bail multiple times followed … Mayor Jim Strickland inaccurately stating Mulroy's office failed to make a motion to revoke the bond of the alleged shooter in Strickland's weekly update, released Friday….
“’[I would] encourage the judicial commissioners to lean more into unaffordable bail amounts early on if the person has a repeat criminal history.’ [Mulroy] said. ‘They can be secure in the knowledge that the defendant will have his or her day in court within 72 hours.’”
From WREG: DA’s office wants Beale Street shooting suspect back in jail
"This means Archie could get another bond hearing. In a statement to WREG, the DA’s office wrote: “Today our office requested a preliminary hearing and also gave notice to the defendant, Archie Mays, that we will be asking the judge to examine the bond after the preliminary hearing. There are specifics of this investigation that we plan to address with the judge during this time."
From ABC24: D.A. Steve Mulroy says his office will be harsher on violent crime and less harsh on marijuana
In coverage from the Community Town Hall held in Hickory Hill by Commissioner Erika Sugarmon, DA Mulroy speaks about his focus on violent crime.
From The Trey Gowdy Podcast: D.A. Steve Mulroy: Defining “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt”
"How would a prosecutor define, “Beyond a reasonable doubt”? District Attorney of Shelby County, Tennessee, Steve Mulroy joins to answer the question, and discuss how he found himself in the field of criminal justice.
Later, he discusses the difficulties he has faced in his short time as District Attorney in Shelby County, how his office has handled the Tyre Nichols case, and how he handles speaking to the families of victims."
Trey Gowdy is a former U.S. Congressman from South Carolina, and frequent guest host on Fox News.
 Stay safe and thanks for reading,
Steve Mulroy
District Attorney
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