Tennessee

Tennessee senator announces ouster plan for DA Mulroy

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

Tennessee senator announces ouster plan for DA Mulroy

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Senator Brent Taylor laid out his plan to oust the Shelby County District Attorney from his position on Monday.

This comes after Taylor and Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton expressed concerns about a diversion program DA Steve Mulroy announced last week.

Mulroy walked back on that plan Monday. According to him, the program would have used a rehabilitative approach for nonviolent offenders charged with possession of a firearm.

Objections to Mulroy’s way of handling criminals are not new, but after the announcement of the diversion program, lawmakers shared more of their opposition to the Shelby County DA.

Speaker Sexton said, “His actions will make Memphis even more unsafe.”

Taylor said the program is not only “nonsensical, but it is dangerous.”

Although he has since rescinded the idea, Sen. Taylor and Speaker Sexton say they are still considering ways to remove Mulroy from his position as district attorney.

“This ouster resolution was never about the diversion program, about whether or not convicted felons should have access to firearms, it was never about that,” said Sen. Taylor. “It was about the DA’s attempt to redefine what crime and punishment is in this state.”

Although the program is no more according to Mulroy, Taylor said he still plans to file an ouster resolution in November, immediately after the November election. He said he has to wait because resolutions cannot be filed for the next General Assembly until then.

Taylor said it would take 22 votes in the Senate and 66 votes in the House of Representatives to remove Mulroy from office.

“There will be committee hearings. DA Mulroy will have due process. He will have an opportunity to come to the General Assembly and answer the charges that will be in the resolution and to defend himself,” he said in a press conference Monday afternoon.

If he is removed, the governor will appoint a replacement who will serve until the next election.

Senate Minority Leader Senator Raumesh Akbari and Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Senator London Lamar condemned the ouster resolution.

Both said in a joint statement, “This unconstitutional attack on Shelby County’s district attorney sets a dangerous precedent. It looks like every local official is now on notice not to cross powerful, state politicians — or else.”

The senators went on to say “Crime did not start with the new Shelby County district attorney, and it is beneath the legislature to threaten local officials over a policy debate.”

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Tennessee

419 sober drivers in Tennessee arrested for DUI in 2024, according to TBI

Published

10 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

419 sober drivers in Tennessee arrested for DUI in 2024, according to TBI

New data released Monday by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows 419 sober drivers were arrested for DUI in Tennessee in 2024, the highest number of wrongful arrests in a single year since WSMV4 Investigates first started obtaining the data.

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Tennessee

Sick and tired: Counties near Chattanooga are now reporting highest flu rates in Tennessee

Published

22 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Sick and tired: Counties near Chattanooga are now reporting highest flu rates in Tennessee

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — Tennessee health officials say flu activity is rising sharply in around Chattanooga, with counties surrounding Hamilton showing some of the highest rates in the state.

Marion, Grundy, Sequatchie, Bradley, Meigs, Rhea, Bledsoe, McMinn and Polk counties are currently the only areas in Tennessee rated “very high” for influenza activity by the Tennessee Dept. of Health. Photo via the Tennessee Health Dept.

Marion, Grundy, Sequatchie, Bradley, Meigs, Rhea, Bledsoe, McMinn and Polk counties are currently the only areas in Tennessee rated “very high” for influenza activity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These counties have flu positivity rates greater than 10 percent. By comparison, the statewide average is 6.5 percent, and Hamilton County itself is at 6.9 percent.

State and federal health experts say the surge comes as influenza A(H3N2) continues to circulate widely. The CDC reports at least 11 million flu illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths nationwide so far this season. One pediatric death was reported this week in Tennessee, bringing the season total to nine nationwide.

File photo: Getty Images.

Georgia officials are also reporting higher-than-average flu activity, signaling that the region is experiencing a particularly active season. Health authorities encourage residents six months and older to get vaccinated if they have not already and to take precautions such as frequent handwashing and staying home when sick.

Flu activity is expected to remain elevated in Tennessee and across the U.S. for several more weeks, according to the CDC. Local hospitals and clinics are urging families to monitor symptoms and seek care early, especially for children, older adults, and those with chronic health conditions.

For the latest guidance on influenza vaccination and antiviral treatments, visit the Tennessee Department of Health or the CDC at cdc.gov.

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Tennessee

Tennessee launches country’s first public database tracking domestic abusers

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee launches country’s first public database tracking domestic abusers

Tennessee launched the country’s first-ever public database tracking and listing convicted domestic abusers as part of a ratified law honoring a sheriff’s deputy who was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend.

The database, which officially launched on Jan. 1, includes offenders’ names, photos and dates of birth and is part of Savanna’s Law. The bill was signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in May 2025 and required the state to establish the registry in Savanna Puckett’s name.

Puckett, a 22-year-old Robertson County Sheriff’s deputy, was tragically killed by her ex-boyfriend, James Conn, at her home on Jan. 23, 2022. Conn had a lengthy history of domestic assault arrests that Puckett had no knowledge of before they began dating.

Conn shot Puckett in the torso and head before he set her home on fire. He pleaded guilty to her murder in August 2023 and was sentenced to life in prison.

Puckett’s distraught mother, Kim Dodson, was determined to save other domestic abuse victims from her daughter’s fate and began pushing state lawmakers for change.

She was a staunch advocate for the bill’s passage and said that if the registry had existed sooner, her daughter might still be alive.

“I was just horrified when I finally saw all those records because I know Savanna well enough that she would have never dated him. I honestly, honestly, honestly feel that if she had known that she could still be here,” Dodson told WSMV.

The domestic abuser registry is run through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and lists anyone in the state who has been convicted of at least two domestic violence-related charges, according to the website.

However, the offender’s registration is dependent on the accusing victim. If the victim doesn’t consent to their abuser’s name being included, then the offender can bypass the registry.

The database doesn’t include info on offenders convicted before the new year, so the current list is limited. But it was made in the mirror image of the state’s sex offender registry, which is more fleshed out with decades-worth of listings.

The sex offender registry includes a rolling queue of “wanted violators” and a “map of offenders.”

Tennessee has previously ranked among the top 10 states with the most domestic violence homicides. In 2019, it tied for fifth with South Carolina in a separate list detailing the states with the highest femicide rates, WTVF reported.

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