What to know in the case against former Memphis police officers in the death of Tyre Nichols

Memphis, Tenn. (AP) – Federal criminal case against former Memphis police officers accused of fatal beating Tire nichols It took a shocking, unusual bending: Three A new trial Because a judge commented after the conviction that brought prejudice questions to the agenda.

On Thursday, US Regional Judge Sheryl H. Lipman ordered a new hearing for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith. Them Found guilty in October 2024 After escaping from a traffic stop in January 2023, the prevention of justice through tampering in the beating of Nichols. The other two officers in the fight were found guilty and prevented the trial.

Lipman wrote that the US Regional Judge Mark S. Norris, who chaired the hearing, increased the “prejudice risk ğinde when he commented that at least one of the civil servants could be in the gang and that the gang could be responsible for hitting the legal officer.

Lipman’s order also reminded that a US lawyer said that Norris said that the Memphis Police Department said that “gang members were on the top”.

Norris rejected himself in June just a few days before the penalties for five civil servants. Rejected the comment.

If the case begins to be tried again, defense lawyers, prosecutors, civil servants and the Nichols family will have to relive the ruthless tattoo and the exhausting legal war following it. It is not clear when a new hearing will take place, but also raises Memphis to the police for a death that led to an investigation of a federal civil rights.

Here’s the case and what’s next.

Tire nichols beaten

Civil servants withdrew on January 7, 2023 Nichols He sprayed his car and then the pepper and hit the 29 -year -old black man with a draft. When Nichols fled, and when five black officers were caught, they punched, kicked, and shot him with a police baton. Nichols called her mother during the fight that took steps from her home.

He died in a hospital three days later.

Video of Tattoo Captured by a police pole camera In addition, while Nichols struggled with injuries, he showed that the officers had grinded, spoke and laughed. Memphis caused the police to be examined intensively, renewing the country -wide protests and calls for police reform.

Police officers were fired

Bean, Haley and Smith, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr. was fired with. They were accused of crimes including crimes including second -degree murder and violations of civil rights and justice.

Bean, Haley and Smith were sentenced to trying to cover the tattoo in the federal court Can not say They broke the rules of the police department when they did not contain correct expressions of them or their colleagues punching and kicking Nichols and what kind of force they use.

Bean and Smith were acquitted of more serious civil rights charges.

Haley was found guilty of violating Nichols’ civil rights, causing physical injury and conspiracy to intervene in witnesses, as well as a deliberate indifference to medical needs.

This May, Bean, Haley and Smith He was acquitted All state charges.

Martin and Mills were found guilty In the federal court last year, Nichols violated Nichols’ civil rights by witnessing death and tampering with the conspiracy. They were not tried in the federal court.

Martin and Mills also avoided a state court hearing after reaching the agreements to claim that he was guilty.

Norris’s statements no longer caused him not to preside the case

Lipman, according to the decision, the US lawyer Norris’s federal hearing ended days after the end of the theft of a car was shot to the legal officer’s reactions. Officer said that another legal officer who previously worked in the Nichols case for Norris was in his house.

Norris met with the US lawyer and the FBI agent and announced why no federal accusation would be brought in the shooting.

Norris said he believed that at least one of the former officers was in a gang and responsible for shooting. Norris said that the existing ones believe that the aim of the shooting was working on the case and that he was “former law officers seen by one or more defendants during the hearing”.

The US lawyer, who attended the May 30 meeting, recalled that Norris said he could not make a statement with Memphis police months ago, because the department said that “gang members were on top”.

Norris rejected that meeting days later.

Bean, Haley and Smith sought a new hearing, arguing that Norris was prejudiced and violated the necessary process rights.

Lipman’s decision found ‘risk of prejudice’

Although a study shows that Norris’s decisions during the hearing is “solid, fair and strictly dependent on the law ,, a new hearing is required,“ The risk of prejudice here is too high to be tolerated constitutional Lip Lipman wrote.

Lipman ordered the lawyers to indicate what charges should be redesigned and held a September 25 hearing.

Expert says that defense bargaining is possible

Charles Geyh, a professor of law at the University of Indiana, Faculty of Law and Judicial Ethics, said that it is already rare to take a new hearing due to suspicions that a judge could hear a case fairly. But Norris’ wide comments make the script “quite unusual ,, Geyh said.

“In such a case, it is more rare that the judge returned and generalized the police force and associates them with organized crimes and gangs,” he said.

David Raybin, a Nashville penalty defense lawyer representing police officers, said that three civil servants were convicted of less federal charges and acquitted in the state court, he said that there may be potentially renewed defense bargaining for lower crimes.

Raybin, who was not involved in the case, said, ‘Look at the table,’ Look, we want a deal, we want a better deal ‘or whatever, ”he said. “Prosecutors, ‘Look, this case is snake. Maybe we want to solve this case somehow’ may say.”

Geyh said that Norris could apologize to the public.

Geyh also said that someone could make a disciplinary complaint. Geyh, the process of the 6th US Court of Appeal, can lead to a special speech with Norris, who can accept some corrective steps.

Or, the judge judge may assign an investigation panel that potentially condemn a judicial council, but probably add something more severe.

Norris was re -appointed by Nichols’ family, including five civil servants and $ 550 million against the city of Memphis.

Nichols’ family is painful

Nichols’ family members did not comment on everyone about the new hearing, and their lawyers do not have Crump.

But throughout their ordeals, Nichols’ relatives expressed how difficult his death was. During the trials, Nichols’ mother Rowvaughn Wells and other relatives left the courtroom, while the jury members watched the video of the tattoo.

After the acquittal of the State Court in May, Crump said: “Tire’s life was stolen and his family was rejected from justice they deserved.

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Mattise, Nashville, Tennessee was reported.