TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jun 4, 2025

Federal sentencing dates have been set for the five former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols, the Daily Memphian reports. Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith will be sentenced on June 16. Both were convicted of one count of obstruction of justice for witness tampering during the 2024 federal trial and face up to 20 years in federal prison. Demetrius Haley and Desmond Mills Jr. will be sentenced on June 17. Haley was convicted of four charges, including violating Nichols’ civil rights resulting in bodily injury, and faces up to 60 years in prison. Mills pleaded guilty before the trial and prosecutors are recommending 15 years for both his federal and state charges to be served concurrently. Emmitt Martin III, who also pleaded guilty, will be sentenced on June 18. Prosecutors have recommended a 40-year sentence on his federal charges, while Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy says he will wait until after federal sentencing to consider state charges. The sentencing dates come less than a month after Bean, Haley and Smith were acquitted of all state charges.