When? Why? Is this double jeopardy? Questions arise in new trial for former officers
News broke last week that three of the former Memphis police officers convicted federally in the 2023 death of Tyré Nichols are getting a new trial.
A chain of events that eventually led to Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith being granted the new trial centers on comments allegedly made by U.S. District Judge Mark Norris who presided over the case from its inception in 2023 until his abrupt recusal in June 2025. Also at issue is the attempted murder of one of Norris’ former law clerks, a crime the judge wanted investigated as a federal matter because he allegedly did not trust MPD.
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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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