Federal Judge Grants New Trial for 3 Ex-Memphis Officers in Tyre Nichols Case

A federal judge has ordered a new trial for three former Memphis police officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith—who were convicted in October 2024 of federal charges related to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols following a traffic stop in January 2023. The new trial was granted after defense attorneys argued that the original presiding judge, Mark S. Norris, exhibited bias and engaged in improper ex parte communications with prosecutors and the FBI. Judge Sheryl H. Lipman took over the case after Norris recused himself days before the officers were to be sentenced and subsequently approved the retrial. Two other officers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty before the federal trial and are not included in the retrial. The convictions against Bean and Smith involved witness tampering, while Haley was found guilty on multiple charges. This development underscores ongoing legal complexities in the high-profile case surrounding Nichols' death and the accountability of law enforcement officers involved.