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Employees from SCDAG at Monday’s County Commission meeting supported colleagues that spoke out against the pay disparity. (Photo Credit: Daily Memphian)
On Monday evening, the County Commission approved a raise for county employees within the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, eliminating the gap between county and state employees. For decades, many county prosecutors have been receiving as much as $50,000 less than state counterparts with the same experience performing the same job duties.
The DA's office will now receive $991,178 for the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year and will receive $2.98 million for each following year. The resolution was approved by a vote of nine commissioners-- Chairwoman Miska Clay Bibbs, Henri Brooks, Mickell Lowery, Michael Whaley, Erika Sugarman, Britney Thornton, Brandon Morrison, David Bradford and Vice-Chair Charlie Caswell.
SCDAG announces the recent conviction of 35-year-old SVU cold case
(L to R): Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen, SVU ADA Dru Carpenter, SVU ADA Gavin Smith, Chief Administrative Officer Jessica Indingaro
During this week’s press conference, DA Mulroy announced the conviction in an SVU cold case from 1988. The trial concluded last week with a guilty verdict from the jury against the suspect, Tony Stafford.
At the time of the 1988 sexual assault, no suspects had been identified. In 2015, the victim’s vaginal swabs and clothes were sent for testing, with conclusive results obtained in 2016. The results were loaded into the nationwide “CODIS” DNA database. In 2018, CODIS hit a match to Tony Stafford, who had prior convictions for sex offenses in Washington County, TN, and Utah.
The case was prosecuted by Dru Carpenter, Gavin Smith and Eric Christensen of the Special Victims Unit.
To read the full press release, click here.
DA Mulroy files brief, challenging state law removing power in capital cases
On February 1, DA Mulroy filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief challenging a 2023 state law that takes away the power from local prosecutors to handle post-conviction reviews of death penalty convictions. The brief states the law is unconstitutional. Along with DA Mulroy, amicus briefs have also been filed by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, and 64 current and former prosecutors. DA Mulroy will participate in an oral argument, which has been scheduled before the Court of Criminal of Appeals on March 5.
Happening in Court
The trial of Lakaren Pryor concluded this week. Pryor was charged with first degree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated burglary and tampering with fabricating evidence. The victim was found with over 35 stab wounds to the body and several punctured head wounds before being set on fire in his home. Pryor was sentenced to 58 years.
Deputy DA Paul Hagerman, Chief Prosecutor Carrie Bush, and ADA Sarah Poe handled this case.
The trial for the case of Miguel Cruz began this week. Cruz was charged for rape of a child in 2019.
ADAs Lessie Rainey and Brittany Neal are handling this case.
 On February 21, DA Mulroy is partnering with Respect the Haven Community Development Corporation to host the first Community Town Hall of the year. The event will take place at the Southbrook Town Center. All are encouraged to attend.
SCDAG Attorney joins CLC Board
 Our very own ADA Brittany Neal recently became a board member for Community Legal Center (CLC). CLC is a non-profit organization in Memphis that provides legal services to individuals with limited financial resources. Congratulations, Brittany!
SCDAG's Office in the News
“Due to the backlog of testing rape kits, the test was not done until 2016. In 2018 it was matched twice with Tony Stafford. At that time, Stafford had convictions for sex offenses in Tennessee and Utah.
The case went to trial and last Thursday Stafford was found guilty.
Mulroy says he highlighted this to show the hard work that’s being done behind the scenes and to emphasize the need to test all rape testing kits. This is why he says a local crime lab is needed.
“There are three particular types of testing that I think need to be focused on,” Mulroy said. “These are types of testing that TBI, through no fault of their own, is not really currently doing for us. So it would really supplement what TBI is doing.”
District Attorney Mulroy: 35-year-old case solved via WREG
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“Amicus briefs are filed by “friends of the court,” or those who are not parties in the case but want to provide insight or expertise, according to Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and 64 current and former prosecutors and law professionals also filed amicus briefs.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law in 2023 taking the power away from local DAs in collateral review of death penalty convictions and instead putting the authority in the hands of the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.
“We believe that both sound policy reasons and the Tennessee Constitution as interpreted by the Tennessee Supreme Court, militate that these kinds of important decisions about literally life or death decisions, the most important decisions that a DA can do in the trial courts, should continue to be done by locally elected prosecutors who are responsible to the people now,” Mulroy said during a Tuesday, Feb. 6, press conference.”
DA, others challenge state law that removes review power in capital cases via Daily Memphian
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“Mulroy, who has pushed in recent months for a crime lab to be built in Shelby County, used the case as an example of the county's need for a crime lab.
"I think there are some other lessons from this case that I'd like to highlight," Mulroy said at the press conference. "One is the need for us to test all rape kits, whether we have a suspect or not. That was the mistake that was made in the past. We don't need to make that mistake anymore. We need to vigorously test all rape kits and upload them into the [CODIS] database in the hopes that we might get a hit later on and bring that person to justice, which is exactly what happened in this particular case. I think the other lesson that we can draw from this case is the importance of forensic testing, including DNA testing. I think it's particularly salient in light of the current conversations going on in Shelby County about the need for a local crime lab."
Mulroy said a crime lab in Shelby County could be "a game changer" for increasing the solve rate, or clearance rate, in Memphis and Shelby County.”
A man was just convicted of a 1988 rape in Shelby County. How 'justice was done via Commercial Appeal
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"After the vote, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, backed by more than a dozen smiling employees on the steps outside the chambers, told reporters he was ecstatic.
“I am very, very grateful to the County Commission,” Mulroy said. “This is a blow for public safety, and it’s a blow for basic fairness.”
Assistant District Attorney Sanjeev Memula told The Daily Memphian he was glad the disparity was “finally addressed.”
“It’s equal pay for equal work in our office,” Memula said. “Finally, my colleague who works right next to me now makes the same as me, not more than me. And we have the same experience.”
County Commission OKs raises for DA's office, eliminating pay disparity via Daily Memphian
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"In a packed commission chamber, many employees of the DA's office spoke about how the pay disparity impacts morale among county employees, and how the high turnover rate in different positions threatened public safety and the mental health of victims of crime.
Commissioners Charlie Caswell, Erika Sugarmon, Michael Whaley, David Bradford, Britney Thornton, Shante Avant, Henri Brooks, Mickel Lowery and Chairwoman Miska Clay Bibbs voted in favor. Commissioners Amber Mills, Edmund Ford Jr. and Mick Wright abstained.
Some of those pay discrepancies discussed Monday were nearly $50,000 between employees doing the same work, at the same experience levels."
County employees in Shelby Co DA's office to get raise, closing pay gap with state positions via Commercial Appeal
Thanks for reading,
 Steve Mulroy
District Attorney
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