Case Explained:This article breaks down the legal background, charges, and implications of Case Explained: These are the Memphis court cases you should watch going into 2026 – Legal Perspective
Ex-Memphis officers not guilty in beating death of Tyre Nichols
Three former Memphis police officers were found not guilty of all state charges in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols.
- Several high-profile Memphis criminal cases, including those of Eliza Fletcher and Young Dolph, concluded in the past year.
- A lawsuit filed by Democratic officials challenges the governor’s authority to deploy the National Guard, a case that could set a new precedent in Tennessee.
- The City of Memphis remains in a legal battle with the Memphis Police Association over union authority and contract disputes.
The last twelve months saw some of the biggest criminal court cases in Memphis’ recent history come to an end.
A man pleaded guilty to, and will spend life in prison for, the kidnapping and murder of Eliza Fletcher. The man who went on a spree shooting that left three dead pleaded guilty and will also spend life in prison. Three former Memphis police officers were acquitted of second-degree murder in the Tyré Nichols case. And the man accused of plotting Young Dolph’s murder was acquitted at trial.
Heading into 2026, both the Nichols and Young Dolph criminal cases are looking to wrap up in state court. But the Nichols case still has a long, winding road forward in federal court.
But what other cases should have an eye kept on them in the new year? Here are three cases The Commercial Appeal will track into 2026, some of which could have huge implications in Memphis and across Tennessee.
Nichols cases move into their third year
Though the criminal case in state court went to trial in May, resulting in Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith Jr. being acquitted of all charges, both Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. still have their cases pending.
An official plea has not been announced for Mills, who pleaded guilty in federal court, and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said it would have a plea created for the state case. He testified in both the federal and state trials.
Martin also pleaded guilty in federal court, though he does not have a plea agreement in state court.
And, despite various federal convictions for Bean, Haley and Smith, that case is currently still in flux. The judge who presided over the trial recused himself, and a new judge ordered a new trial for the three convicted.
But federal prosecutors are appealing that ruling, asking for the convictions to stand. Regardless of the ruling on that matter, the case will stretch on for another year.
The length of time the federal criminal case takes to resolve has impacted the federal lawsuit filed by Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells. All of the criminal defendants are part of that lawsuit, but their role has been put on hold pending the criminal cases.
The lawsuit has a price tag exceeding $500 million in damages, an amount the City of Memphis has said could bankrupt it. Despite the delays, mediation has been ongoing while the parties who can collect and distribute evidence try to prepare for trial.
Mediation discussions have been private, and it is not clear if those discussions are close to bringing the case to a settlement. As the case continues, the financial burden on the city ― be it from damages or legal fees ― is worth keeping tabs on in 2026.
National Guard lawsuit may set precedent on executive power in Tennessee
At the end of September, Memphis became the second city in America to see an official deployment of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement as President Donald Trump’s administration attempts to crack down on crime. The Memphis Safe Task Force was welcomed by conservatives but questioned by liberals.
For weeks, Democratic officials mulled the prospect of suing over the National Guard’s deployment, but it wasn’t until Oct. 17 that a lawsuit was filed.
The lawsuit ― filed by multiple Democrats from Memphis, Shelby County and state government ― alleged Gov. Bill Lee broke state and federal law by deploying the National Guard without approval from the state legislature or one of the local bodies in Memphis or Shelby County.
Lee, represented by the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, argued in filings that his executive authority was absolute in deploying the National Guard. His attorneys added a judge does not have the authority to overturn his decision to deploy troops.
Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal agreed with the Democratic officials during a hearing for a preliminary injunction. She granted the injunction, but the AG’s office has appealed her ruling. Until the appeal is done, the injunction will not go into effect.
But this case tees up litigation that could be lengthy ― potentially stretching beyond the National Guard’s previously-approved yearlong deployment.
The case still has interesting consequences for Tennessee law.
A set of judges ― including the lower-level court, state appellate court and maybe state supreme court ― could set precedent that will impact Tennessee moving forward. New precedent on how and when the National Guard can be unilaterally deployed by the governor and who, if anyone, has the power to check the governor’s decision-making could be shaped in this case.
The city takes on police union in court
Last on this list is a case focused on what status the city’s employee associations — often earning the colloquial title of unions despite not having the same protections as full unions — will have in the future.
The Memphis Police Association is in the midst of heated litigation with the city.
The city had also been in a legal battle with the Memphis Fire Fighters Association, but legal action was dropped after the Memphis City Council recently passed additional raises for the Memphis Fire Department.
The legal battle between the Memphis Police Association and the city has persisted for years. It traces its roots back to 2023, when the Memphis Police Department created a new rank ― called second lieutenant ― and an arbitrator ruled the city did not have the authority to create the rank without the MPA’s approval.
The city then petitioned Shelby County Circuit Court to vacate the arbitrator’s ruling, alleging the arbitrator overstepped his authority in ordering the city to remove the rank and renegotiate a new one with the MPA.
But a circuit court judge declined to do that, and the case is currently being appealed.
The case is emblematic of long-standing tensions between the city and its two biggest employee associations.
Both the MFFA and MPA hold large political sway in Memphis and routinely endorse candidates for office. The city, in its now-dropped countersuit against the MFFA, described some of its unions as having “weaponized their members to engage in acrimonious attacks on the city’s leadership and have become litigious” over union issues.
The filing also reinforced a longstanding belief among city officials ― which has also been debated in the courts for decades ― that the agreements between the city and its employee associations are not legally binding.
Attorneys for the MPA have disagreed with the city’s assessment and have pointed to court rulings that conflict with the rulings the city points to.
Different rulings ― from different judges and different courts ― create a messy caselaw for attorneys to argue. Though the MPA’s case may also end in mediation, with a judge not having to rule on the merits and arguments made by each party, the issue is one to keep an eye on moving forward.
Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, and followed on X @LucasFinton.