TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Oct 8, 2025

Emmitt Martin III, the only former Memphis police officer charged in connection with the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols who was still in custody, is being released from jail. Martin, who pleaded guilty last year to federal charges related to Nichols’ death, will be released today, The Daily Memphian reports. U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman granted his release Tuesday after a nearly two-hour hearing. Martin was initially released on bond after being charged but was taken back into custody in February for allegedly harassing the mother of his child, violating his bond conditions. His attorneys said he has been held in solitary confinement since then, harming his mental and physical health. Under the conditions of his release, Martin must spend 90 days in a mental health treatment facility and continue treatment afterward. He also will be subject to GPS monitoring and drug testing and is prohibited from contacting his child, the child’s mother, or any of the other former officers charged in Nichols’ death. Lipman also suggested Martin’s sentencing, tentatively set for December, could be delayed if his co-defendants are granted new federal trials.