 SCDAG’s Justice Review Unit (JRU) recently received a grant for over $500,000 over two years from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Conviction Program. Currently, the JRU receive about 100 new applications a month seeking review for wrongful convictions or sentencing. With this grant, the JRU team will be seeking expansion including an additional prosecutor and paralegal along with extra equipment and supplies to support the unit.
Brittany Jackson, mother of North Memphis toddler--Sequoia Samuels, appeared in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing. Jackson was charged with filing a false report, aggravated child abuse and abuse of a corpse. Jackson is in custody with a bond of $500,000. Jackson waived the hearing and the case is now pending grand jury.
Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen and ADA Devon Dennis are handling this case.
Wesley Benedict, a mechanic, was in court this week after being charged with theft over $10K in March. After failing to repair his client’s vehicle and the insurance money, Benedict was arrested. Benedict made his bond and is set for an attorney on Friday.
ADA Steve Crossnoe is handling this case.
McKinney Wright, man charged in the 2018 fatal shooting of former Greater Memphis Chamber leader Phil Trenary, was in court this week as a result of a last minute motion filed by the defense. The motions were to suppress evidence, sever from a co-defendant, and other matters. Our office agreed to the severance and opposed the motion to suppress, which was postponed until October 11. Trial is currently set for October 23. Last-minute additions of expert testimony by the defense may delay that date, but we will make every effort to have trial on schedule. Wright is currently being held without bond.
Chief Prosecutor Karen Cook is handling this case.
 L to R: Gale Jones Carson, MLGW VP of Community & External Affairs, D.A. Mulroy, Councilwoman Patrice Robinson, and Judge Tarik Sugarmon
Over the weekend, DA Mulroy attended the annual NAACP prayer breakfast at First Baptist Church in Binghampton.
SCDAG staff offer support at National Night Out
 Photo of D.A. Mulroy and SCDAG Assistant Chief Investigator Marty Tartera with diverse groups of citizens
On Tuesday, October 3, staff from SCDAG participated in the National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our community safer and better for all.
SCDAG SVU team attends conference in Arizona for Forensic Nurses
 L to R: Andrea Sebastian, Assistant Professor of Nursing, ADA Gavin Smith, ADA Dru Carpenter, and Chief Prosecutor Eric Christiansen
SVU prosecutors Eric Christiansen, Dru Carpenter and Gavin Smith presented last week in Phoenix, Arizona at the Conference of the International Association of Forensic Nurses. The conference focused on identifying and prosecuting child torture cases. They presented along with Andrea Sebastian, Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Tennessee.
DA Proposed Amendment on Commission’s Pretextual Traffic Stops
On Monday, Oct. 2 DA Mulroy spoke at the Shelby County Commission meeting. At the request of Commissioner Britney Thornton, he spoke about three police reform ordinances affecting the Sheriff’s Department. Mulroy spoke in favor of the two ordinances calling for greater data transparency, which both passed. He also spoke in support of the ordinance banning certain pretextual traffic stops, with reservations. Mulroy called for the ordinance to be amended to allow traffic stops for expired drive-out tags, excessive noise, and “rolling stops,” and to allow for “investigatory questioning” by officers during a traffic stop. The Commission adopted those amendments. The amended ordinance fell one vote short of the 7 needed for final passage. The Commission may bring the ordinance up again in a different form at a later time.
From Commercial Appeal: DA Mulroy penned this guest editorial on the City of Memphis election system
From WKNO & Institute for Public Safety Reporting: Police Shooting Videos are Being Released Faster, Though Questions Remain
From Daily Memphian: Ban on Pretextual Traffic Stops Comes Up One Vote Short on County Commission
 Thanks for reading,
Steve Mulroy
District Attorney
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