TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jan 30, 2023

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said this weekend that he would not rule out a federal investigation into the Memphis Police Department, which has come under scrutiny following the death of Tyre Nichols. Kevin Ritz, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced earlier this month there would be a federal civil rights investigation into the incident, but not the entire department. Durbin encouraged fellow senators to redouble efforts on crafting bipartisan police reform legislation but also said more screening and training are needed to change a culture of police violence. The Hill has more on his comments.