Federal judge recuses himself days before sentencing Memphis officers accused in Tyre Nichols' death
Share this @internewscast.com

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge, who was overseeing the case of five former Memphis officers found guilty in the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols, withdrew from the case on Friday. This decision came just days ahead of when he was expected to sentence the individuals.

U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris delivered a brief order indicating his withdrawal, stating that the case is being returned “to the Clerk for reassignment to another United States District Judge for all further proceedings.”

No additional details were provided. Efforts to contact Norris’ office for comment were not immediately successful, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office chose not to give a statement on Friday.

Norris had overseen the case since federal indictments were issued in September 2023. He accepted guilty pleas from two of the officers and presided over the trial for the other three officers in October. Four of the five officers had been scheduled to be sentenced next week and the fifth on June 23.

U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman was added to the case late Friday, court records showed. It was not immediately clear how the change in judges would affect the timing of the sentencings.

Several motions had been filed under seal in recent days. It was not clear if any of those asked for Norris to step away from the case. It is unusual for a judge to recuse themself from a case between the trial and sentencing.

Beating was captured on cameras

The officers yanked Nichols from his car, then pepper-sprayed and hit the 29-year-old Black man with a Taser. Nichols fled, and when the five officers, who are also Black, caught up with him, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place just steps from his home.

Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023, three days later.

Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries — video that prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis.

The beating also sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for police reform. The five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired from the police force and indicted in state and federal court.

Bean, Haley and Smith were found guilty in federal court in October of obstruction of justice through witness tampering related to an attempt to cover up the beating.

The officers failed to say that they or their colleagues punched and kicked Nichols and broke Memphis Police Department rules when they did not include complete and accurate statements about what type of force they used.

Bean and Smith were acquitted of more serious civil rights charges by the federal jury. Haley was found guilty of violating Nichols’ civil rights by causing bodily injury and showing deliberate indifference to medical needs. He was also convicted of conspiracy to witness tamper.

Bean and Smith were scheduled to be sentenced on Monday. Haley’s sentencing was scheduled for Tuesday, and Martin was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday. Mills’ sentencing was set for June 23.

Martin Zummach, Smith’s lawyer, referred questions on Norris’ recusal to the district court and the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday.

Bean, Haley and Smith were acquitted in May of all state charges, including second-degree murder. The jury for the state trial was chosen in majority-white Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, after Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the case be heard from people outside of Shelby County, which includes the majority-Black Memphis. The officers’ lawyers had argued that intense publicity made seating a fair jury difficult.

Martin and Mills pleaded guilty in federal court last year to violating Nichols’ civil rights by causing death and conspiracy to witness tamper. They did not stand trial in federal court with their former colleagues. Martin and Mills also avoided the trial in state court after reaching agreements to plead guilty there. Both Martin and Mills testified in the federal trial, and Mills also took the stand in the state trial.

Officers were part of Scorpion Unit

The officers were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that was disbanded weeks after Nichols died. The team targeted illegal drugs and guns, and violent offenders, and sometimes used force against unarmed people.

In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people. The investigation also found that the Memphis Police Department conducts unlawful stops, searches, and arrests.

In May, the Trump administration announced it was retracting the findings of Justice Department civil rights investigations of police departments, including Memphis, that were issued under the Biden administration.

The city has hired a former federal judge and created a task force to address police department reforms. The task force has not announced any recommendations.

Nichols’ family is suing the five officers, the city of Memphis and the police chief for $550 million. A trial has been scheduled in that case next year. Norris is the judge presiding over that case too. Court records in the lawsuit did not show any order of recusal Friday.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Several silicone sex dolls in lingerie sitting on a bed in a showroom.

A Look Inside China’s Eerie Factory Producing Advanced AI-Powered $3,000 ‘Companion Dolls’ for Solitary Individuals

CHINA is pumping out hoards of futuristic AI-powered “love dolls” at $3,000…
Over 60 UFO sightings reported whizzing across state in first half of 2025, national tracking group says

More Than 60 UFO Sightings Reported Across State in Early 2025, Says National Tracking Group

New York state has documented 66 Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings in…
Family-owned Texas restaurant works to feed first responders: 'We're thankful for them'

Texas Restaurant, Family-Owned, Shows Gratitude by Feeding First Responders

Janyce Karcher, a lifelong resident of Kerrville, Texas, shared her thoughts with…
UK man challenges himself to walk barefoot for a year

British Man Takes on Year-Long Barefoot Walking Challenge

Meet the man who is spending every day barefoot – for a…
Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter granddaughters safe in Texas camp flood

Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter’s Granddaughters Found Safe After Texas Camp Flooding

11 girls are still missing after floods swept through Camp Mystic in…
Jacksonville Sheriff hosts 6-week town hall series for crime feedback

Jacksonville Sheriff Launches 6-Week Town Hall Series to Gather Community Input on Crime

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is kicking off six weeks of town halls…
Surveillance footage of Jeffrey Epstein's cell.

CCTV Footage from Epstein’s Prison Finally Released 6 Years Post-Suicide, as Investigation “Reveals Whether Financier Took His Own Life”

PRISON CCTV outside Jeffrey Epstein’s cell has finally been released six years…
Car similar to Bryan Kohberger's seen near victims' home multiple times just before alleged killings: Report

Idaho Killer Bryan Kohberger’s Past Friends Explore His Motives for the Crime

Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger’s former friends from Pennsylvania and a classmate…
Florida rescue teams aid Texas flood disaster recovery

Florida Teams Assist in Texas Flood Recovery Efforts

Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida is sending water rescue teams to…
Photo of Erin Patterson.

Prison Kitchen Incident: Erin Patterson Accused of Tampering with Food, Sickening Fellow Inmate

Erin Patterson, known as the “mushroom murderer,” has been accused of meddling…
Woman in white dress against a white wall.

Influential Belly Dancer Detained for ‘Seductive Methods’ and ‘Revealing Private Parts’ in Popular Online Videos

A BELLY dancer influencer has been arrested for “using seduction techniques” and…
Chicago-area family mourns David Meneou of Joliet, Jameson Meneou of Lockport, who drowned in Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes

Chicago-area family grieves the loss of David Meneou from Joliet and Jameson Meneou from Lockport, who tragically drowned in Lake Michigan near Indiana Dunes

PORTER COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) — A family from the suburbs is grieving…