Tennessee state senator sends follow-up letter to governor, asks for help with Shelby Co. DA and judicial system

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Almost a week after one Shelby County lawmaker asked for the National Guard to come in and help with crime, comes a new request.

This one is focused on Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and the county’s judicial system.

“Essentially, ask the governor to direct members of his administration to work with me and other members of the general assembly to hold our district attorney and our judicial accountable for increasing prosecutions and lowering crime for Shelby County,” said State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Shelby County).

In a letter to Governor Bill Lee, Taylor thanked him for his plans to send more state troopers to Shelby County.

Also in the letter, Taylor asks for Governor Lee to help hold Shelby County’s judicial system accountable for Shelby County’s crime problem.

Taylor claims DA Mulroy is trying to solve crime by “emphasizing restorative justice,” which he believes is misplaced, and argues “long-term approaches” can be considered once crime is brought down.

Read the letter in full below:

Memphis recorded a record number of homicides and vehicle thefts so far this year, according to Memphis police.

Chief Davis told city councilors Tuesday that 20% of people are committing the majority of crimes in Memphis, but it’s unclear who those “people” are and where those numbers originated. Chief Davis also told city councilors that recidivism plays a large role in crimes being committed.

“It’s not like the city has a break out of thousands and thousands of criminals in the city. And incarceration might not be the answer for everybody, but the answer has to be some pathway to a change,” said Chief Davis.

Leaders of the county’s judicial commissioners, who set bond, said their data shows from August 2022 to the end of July 2023, re-arrests were down to 7%, compared to 11% before the county reformed its bail system earlier this year.

“In a way, much of this can be managed by simply prosecuting people who are committing crimes at the lower level before it reaches the point of someone committing murder,” said Senator Taylor.

The county’s judicial system has faced a lot of criticism this year.

Many, including Senator Taylor, point to what they see as low bonds given to suspects in certain cases; most recently, two fatal Midtown hit-and-run cases where the suspects bonded out of jail quickly.

On July 5, an 18-year-old on a motorcycle was killed after police say James Futrell hit the teen at Poplar and Cooper Street.

Futrell called police admitting to the crime and he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death and failing to yield.

He posted his $25,000 bond Tuesday.

On July 25, police say 20-year-old Ava Christopher’s car was hit by a stolen Dodge Challenger at Cooper Street and Central Avenue.

After nearly four months, Julio Hernandez was arrested Friday and charged with vehicular homicide.

He posted his $75,000 bond Tuesday.

Senator Taylor believes there’s a need to set an example out of some alleged offenders, with the hope to deter more people from committing crimes.

“My profession’s work has been dealing with families that have suffered a loss,” said Senator Taylor. “This is not some theoretical thought or debate for me. I know what it’s like for a family to have to go through the Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas holiday having just lost a family member to violence.”

Action News 5 reached out to DA Mulroy for comment, we were told he is traveling for the holiday.

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