 Last Friday, DA Mulroy and federal prosecutors announced the charges for 21 people involved in the shutdown of a local corner store, Save-A-Stop. Those indicted were charged with federal firearm trafficking, drug possession, and other gun-related offenses. The DA office had previously filed a nuisance action against the store, successfully shutting it down.
This comes after an operation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Attorney for the Western District, Kevin Ritz -- along with assistance from local law enforcement and the Shelby County DA's Office.
“This is an excellent example of effective partnerships among agencies, and I must commend the exemplary work and dedication of the ATF and our local law enforcement," said DA Mulroy. "Together, they enabled our office to file a nuisance action that finally ended a breeding ground of crime in the community. The business had long disrupted and degraded neighborhood residents' safety and quality of life. As a result of the partnership between ATF, local law enforcement, and our office, residents can now look forward to a safer community.”
 |
|
Recently, the trial for co-defendants Jerrell Anderson, Jaylon Hatch, and Mitchell Hopkins took place, where the jury returned a guilty verdict. The three are charged with involvement in a shooting incident that left four people wounded, including a 70-year-old woman and a 2-year-old child. Anderson, Hatch, and Hopkins are convicted of criminal attempt first-degree murder and employing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony. Sentencing is set for November.
First Deputy DA Chris Lareau and ADA Forrest Edwards are handling the case.
Jason Patterson, charged in the fatal accident that killed a local journalist, was arraigned this week. Patterson allegedly caused the fatal accident at Cooper and Southern before abandoning his car. He was arrested shortly after. Michael Morrison, who was killed in the car accident, was a photojournalist for ABC 24. Patterson's next court date is November 18.
ADA Haden Lawyer is handling the case.
Larry Pickens, accused of shooting and killing Dr. Benjamin Mauck, a surgeon at Campbell Clinic, appeared in Collierville court this week to report on scheduling a second mental evaluation. The court still waits for Pickens to undergo the Middle TV Mental Health Institute evaluation. The case has been reset to December 12.
ADA Kindle Nance is handling the case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In addition to the Justice Review Unit’s (JRU) work of reviewing applications for wrongful convictions and unjust procedures -, the JRU also receives and investigates complaints of unfair sentences. Jarquavious Murry contacted the JRU, alleging that his sentence had been incorrectly calculated by the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC).
After reviewing the court file, the JRU found that the judgment sheets indicated that the agreed-upon sentence should have been about 14 years instead of the 21 years that the TDOC had in its system. By contacting the clerks locally and, through them, the TDOC sentencing management department, the miscalculation that had existed for nearly two years was corrected in hours.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Shelby County DA's Office Criminal Investigator Recognized for Youth Mentorship
 Chambers and Wilson (middle) pictured with faculty members at Ohio College of Optometry.
|
Longtime Shelby County Criminal Investigator Jimmy Chambers has devoted most of his life to mentoring youth. Recently, he was recognized in the local news for his work with Therrin Wilson, a teen who joined a gang when he was only 14. Through Chambers' mentorship, Wilson left the gang and eventually attended college. He is now an Optometric Doctor Candidate at the Ohio College of Optometry.
Chambers, who has worked as a criminal investigator for the DA's Office since 1997, said he believes, 'if you can change the mindset of a child, you can change the person."
|
|
|
DA's Office Partners with AFIRM for Fatherhood Forum
 Last Saturday, the DA's Office participated in AFIRM’s Fatherhood Forum at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church Westwood. The Fatherhood Forum featured a panel discussing fatherhood and included a job and expungement fair. Associate Deputy DA Ernest Brooks was an invited panelist.
AFIRM is a Memphis-based nonprofit that invests in fathers by equipping fathers to provide emotionally and financially for their children.
Shelby County ADAs Speak to Collierville High School Criminal Justice Students
|
Recently, Shelby County Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) Venecia Patterson and Sanjeev Memula were invited to speak to a group of criminal justice students at Collierville High School. The students learned about the roles and responsibilities of the DA's Office and the various careers in criminal justice.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
“The question is whether Justice was done in this case. The 162-year sentence for a string of nonviolent offenses was clearly excessive. Mr. Anderson served 25 years which was enough. It’s regrettable that the AG prioritized using scarce legal resources to reinstate on appeal a clearly excessive sentence. I hope the governor will consider clemency.”- DA Mulroy; Memphis Native Freed From Prison Ordered Back Behind Bars, via WMC Channel 5
"Thanks to the great work of the ATF and our local law enforcement, we were able to file a nuisance action to shut down a breeding ground of crime in the community which had long degraded neighborhood residents' safety and quality of life."-DA Mulroy 21 Charged and Corner Store Shut Down, via ABC24
"Law enforcement provided our office abundant evidence of numerous, repeated, continuing violations of the law: Guns, drugs, in some cases violent incidents that occurred in and around a particular location."-DA Mulroy; DOJ Indicts in Targeted Gun Operation, via Commercial Appeal
|
|
|
|
 Thanks for reading,
Steve Mulroy
District Attorney
|
