TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Dec 2, 2024

A Memphis judge ruled last week that Emmitt Martin III, one of the five former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols, will be tried separately from co-defendants. According to the Daily Memphian, the lawyers for Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley — Martin’s co-defendants — argued before Shelby County Criminal Court that Martin should be split from the three in state court because of his cooperation with prosecutors in the federal case. Martin pleaded guilty to federal charges in August and implicated his co-defendants in Nichols’ death at the federal trial in September. According to the paper, the officers will return to court in February at which time the state will indicate whether Martin intends to enter a plea deal or go to trial.