Senator questions D.A. Mulroy’s agreements with restorative justice groups

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Just a day after meeting with local business leaders to discuss crime in Memphis, State Senator Brent Taylor is questioning the Shelby County district attorney’s ties to groups trying to “redefine justice” and “eliminate bail.”

In an open letter Tuesday, Senator Taylor revealed his plans to have the Senate Judiciary Committee review D. A. Steve Mulroy’s agreements with Just City, the Vera Institute, and the Justice Innovation Lab.

He also questioned whether Mulroy’s agreements and the efforts of the restorative justice organizations conflict with state law.

“Memphians have a right to know if the agreements between the DA’s office and these outside groups are inconsistent with state laws and policies. The District Attorney’s job is to further his prosecutorial duties, not embark on a restorative justice campaign,” Taylor said in a press release. “This undermines the will of Tennesseans through their elected representatives and is making Shelby County significantly more dangerous.”

Mulroy released a statement in response Tuesday, claiming that Taylor is playing politics and saying there is nothing illegal about his partnerships with criminal justice experts. Read his statement below:

“This is baseless. We announced publicly the partnerships with these expert groups many months ago. There is nothing illegal about them. Consulting arrangements with national expert groups are joint in DA offices, including my predecessor, who had several. Indeed, for years, the county (including under Republican officials) has had the Vera Institute as a consulting vendor, one of the very organizations Sen. Taylor’s criticizing me about now.

Sen. Taylor called for no investigations then, nor when crime rose steadily over a decade under my predecessor, nor when she did the same thing in the Pervis Payne case that Taylor recently criticized me for doing in the Michael Sample case. It’s hard not to suspect this is political, especially when his last press release was sent by a conservative campaign consulting firm, not by his Senate office.

For weeks now, I’ve been trying to get a meeting with Sen. Taylor to explain to him the new solid public safety initiatives we have on nonfatal shootings, aggravated assaults, fast-tracking violent crimes, and more. Meanwhile, we’re focusing on reducing violent crime and justice reform, which is what the people of Shelby County voted for me to do.”

This is not the first time Senator Taylor has called Mulroy’s actions into question. Last week, he called for an investigation into Mulroy and a Shelby County criminal court judge in connection with reduced sentences in recent cases.

State Sen. calls for investigation into Judge Skahan, D.A. Mulroy

He also said Mulroy and the judge took “unlawful” action by reducing a man’s 162-year sentence and commuting the sentence of a death row inmate who was convicted for a double murder in 1983.

Taylor has also been more vocal about finding ways to fight crime in Memphis.

On Monday, Taylor and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson met with local business leaders to discuss crime in the city and how it affects the county.

Rampant crime in Memphis could lead to new state laws

He also sent a letter to Governor Bill Lee last month requesting state aid for the city, including more Tennessee Highway Patrol officers.

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