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Where do wrongful death lawsuits against the jail stand?

By , Daily Memphian Updated: July 31, 2025 4:00 AM CT | Published: July 31, 2025 4:00 AM CT

As conditions at the Shelby County Jail continue to come under scrutiny, a number of notable — and in some cases long-standing — lawsuits are pending against Shelby County government and jail leadership.

One local defense attorney recently told The Daily Memphian he’s never seen conditions at the jail, also known as 201 Poplar, quite as bad as they currently are. In addition to a host of deferred maintenance issues, booking and processing just to get fully admitted into the jail took an average of three days in June, leaving would-be inmates in limbo.

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Subscriber Only Shelby County Jail Blake Ballin Gershun Freeman Marcus Donald Deion Byrd Ramon McGhee

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Aarron Fleming

Aarron Fleming

Aarron Fleming covers public safety for The Daily Memphian, focusing on crime and the local court system. He earned his bachelor’s in journalism and strategic media from the University of Memphis.

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