You may have heard about high temperatures in some of the courtrooms on the Lower Level of the Walter Bailey Criminal Justice Center, aka 201 Poplar. This is where certain General Sessions courts and City of Memphis municipal courts conduct business. I was down there myself and can attest to the difficult heat-related conditions. Bad for attorneys, defendants, and witnesses.
As difficult as those conditions were, they’ve been even more difficult at Shelby County Jail (which, although in the same building complex, uses a separate HVAC system). With temperatures well into the 90s with 100% humidity, 13 detainees required medical attention for heat-related symptoms, and one was briefly hospitalized.
I’ve heard some people say about detainees, “Well, they shouldn’t have committed a crime.” But it’s important for us to remember that most people in the Jail have not yet been convicted of a crime. Some are innocent (our system isn’t perfect), and most are there on misdemeanor charges. Innocent our guilty, they don’t deserve unhealthy conditions.
Besides, the conditions have been just as brutal for Jail employees. Five kitchen staff got overheated and were sent home. And rising temperatures lead to rising tempers, making dangerous confrontations among detainees, and between detainees and guards, ever more likely.
It’s obviously a crisis, and obviously demands action. Local and state government need to provide the resources necessary to fix the ailing physical plant at 201 Poplar. I don’t propose to settle this vexing problem in this opening letter. But we should all do our part.
Here at the DA Office, we have been concerned about overcrowding at the Jail for some time. Such overcrowding has been chronic, and spiked dangerously in response to the rise in arrests occurring after the arrival of the federal task force. Prosecutors are instructed to look out for cases where the defendant need not really be in jail pending the outcome of the case—i.e., cases where, based on the circumstances of the offense and the defendant’s criminal history, there is little risk to public safety (or of flight) by release. That means being open to RORs and low bail, especially in nonviolent cases, where appropriate.
In light of the current problems, we’re redoubling our efforts along those lines, while also being careful to ensure that those posing actual public safety risks remain incarcerated pretrial.
Defendant Sentenced to Six Years at 100% for South Memphis Nightclub Shooting: Chief Prosecutor Monica Timmerman successfully handled the case of Desmond Humphrey, who pleaded guilty to Aggravated Assault and received a six-year sentence to be served at 100% for shooting and injuring a woman outside a South Memphis nightclub.
Timmerman secured the guilty plea and sentence, resolving the case without the need for trial.
The case stems from an April 11, 2025 shooting outside Black Onyx Gentlemen's Club. Prosecutors proved Humphrey, who was working as a security guard, became involved in an altercation with the victim before shooting her multiple times. The victim survived her injuries. Humphrey entered his guilty plea on July 8, 2026, and received a six-year sentence to be served at 100%.
Chief Prosecutor Monica Timmerman handled the case.
Defendant Sentenced to Two Six-Year Sentences to Run Consecutively for Series of Residential Burglaries: Assistant District Attorney Haden Lawyer successfully handled the case of Ricky Pointer, who pleaded guilty Wednesday to Aggravated Burglary and received two six-year sentences to run consecutively.
Lawyer secured the guilty plea and sentence, resolving the case without the need for trial.
The case stems from a series of residential burglaries that targeted homes in southeast Shelby County between December 2024 and January 2025. Prosecutors proved investigators linked Pointer to multiple burglaries and recovered stolen firearms and other property during the investigation.
ADA Haden Lawyer handled the case.
Bonds Set in Attempted Murder and Especially Aggravated Robbery Case: Assistant District Attorney Cody Tolbert successfully handled the bond hearings for Kobe Benson and Josiah Blackwell, who are charged in connection with a violent robbery that left the victim suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Following the hearings, Benson's bond was set at $200,000, while Blackwell's bond was set at $50,000. Benson is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 23, 2026.
Tolbert presented the State's proof regarding each defendant's role in the offense, resulting in the court setting substantial bonds based on the seriousness of the charges.
The case stems from the robbery of Darian Jones after prosecutors allege the defendants arranged to meet him. According to the State's proof, Benson shot Jones multiple times, including after exiting the vehicle and standing over the victim before firing additional shots. Benson is charged with Especially Aggravated Robbery, Criminal Attempt: First-Degree Murder, and Employing a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony. Blackwell, who allegedly drove the vehicle but did not fire any shots, is charged with Facilitation of Especially Aggravated Robbery.
ADA Cody Tolbert handled the hearings.
DA Mulroy Discusses Shelby County's Local Crime Lab Initiative on WMC Action News 5's A Better Memphis
 (Pictured L-R): WMC 5's Kym Clark, DA Steve Mulroy, Dana Wilson (Shelby County Mayors Office), and WMC 5's Joe Birch
DA Mulroy recently appeared on WMC Action News 5's A Better Memphis alongside Dana Wilson of the Shelby County Mayor's Office to discuss Shelby County's efforts to establish a local crime lab.
Hosted by Joe Birch and Kym Clark, the conversation highlights how a local crime lab could improve forensic testing, strengthening investigations, increase the solve rate, and move cases more quickly through the system.
DA Mulroy Participates in Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence
 District Attorney Steve Mulroy (pictured left) reads a portion of the Declaration of Independence during a public reading ceremony at Memphis City Hall. Memphis Mayor Paul Young (pictured right) also participated by reading excerpts from the historic document as part of the celebration commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration’s first public reading.
DA Mulroy joined Memphis Mayor Paul Young, Public Defender Jerri Green, and other community leaders for a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at Memphis City Hall. The event commemorated the 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia and also featured a reading of the Declaration of Sentiments.
Hosted by the National Votes for Women Trail Committee as part of the nationwide Sharing the Spirit of America program, the event celebrated the nation's founding principles and encouraged civic engagement through a shared reading of these historic documents.
“We agree with the family that Mr. Hayes should be released as soon as practicable. Some delays, like that occasioned by the flooding at 201 Poplar, are unavoidable, but we understand the frustration. We stand ready to participate in the post-conviction hearing at the earliest opportunity. Our position at that hearing will continue to be that Mr. Hayes should be released,” said DA Mulroy. |‘Pure hell:’ Man wrongfully convicted of 2007 Cordova murder demands his release, family to hold rallies and gather signatures| via WMC 5
At the request of 30th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, TBI agents are investigating the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting on Wednesday morning in Memphis involving Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents assigned to the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF). |TBI Agents Investigating Memphis Officer-Involved Shooting| via TBI Newsroom
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry at the request of Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy. Once agents complete their investigation, the findings will be turned over to the district attorney’s office for review and a determination on whether the shooting was legally justified. |Photo released of man shot dead by National Guard soldiers during Downtown Memphis pursuit| via Fox 13
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