Details
In June 2019, our office adopted a new system for the way we handle cases from beginning to end. It’s called vertical prosecution.
In the past, we would treat a case like several separate cases as it moved through the criminal justice system.
First, the case would run its course downstairs in General Sessions, where preliminary hearings are held. If the General Sessions judge found probable cause, or if the defendant waived the hearing, the case would move up to be presented to the grand jury. If the grand jury returned an indictment, the case would be advanced to Criminal Court for trial or settlement. During this process, the case would be handled by a different prosecutor at each transition, essentially starting from scratch.
This method was slow, not the best use of our limited resources and difficult for victims, so we came up with an alternative system – vertical prosecution. Achieving this new model was not easy. It took cooperation and approval from 18 judges and two court clerks. We also had to restructure our entire office.
We now have six new vertical teams of prosecutors, victim/witness coordinators, support staff and investigators. Each team is matched with one division of General Sessions and one division of Criminal Court. This allows each team to handle cases in their designated courts from start to finish. Cases now can be handled more efficiently, which is good for victims, witnesses, defendants and the entire justice system.
Vertical Teams
Vertical Team 1
Consists of General Sessions 7 (Veterans Court) and Criminal Court 1
Vertical Team 2
Consists of General Sessions 9 (Mental Health Court) and Criminal Court 2
Vertical Team 3
Consists of General Sessions 11 and Criminal Court 3
Vertical Team 4
Consists of General Sessions 12 and Criminal Court 4
Vertical Team 5
Consists of General Sessions 13 and Criminal Court 9
Vertical Team 6
Consists of General Sessions 15 and Criminal Court 10
Domestic Violence Unit
Consists of General Sessions 10 and Criminal Court 5
The Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) handles cases of domestic assault and homicide committed by intimate partners. General Sessions Court Division 10, by law, has exclusive jurisdiction on all domestic violence cases. The DVU also works closely with the Shelby County Family Safety Center as well as numerous other victim service providers, like Kindred Place and the YWCA, in order to provide all services and assistance to victims and families of interpersonal violence.
Special Prosecution Units 7 & 8
Special Prosecution Unit 7: Criminal Court 7 has no General Sessions counterpart
Special Prosecution Unit 8: Criminal Court 8 has no General Sessions counterpart
The Special Prosecution Units handle cases involving repeat felony offenders and seek maximum sentencing upon conviction. These defendants are selected based on a point system adopted by the Criminal Court judges.
Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit
Consists of General Sessions 8 and Criminal Court 6
The Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit (CSNPU) incorporates and expands the work of the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, the Organized Crime Unit, Project Safe Neighborhoods/GunDone, GunStat, the Safe Streets Task Force and the Violent Crime Unit.
The CSNPU was formerly known as the District Attorney’s Multi-Agency Gang Prosecution Unit, originally formed in 1996 as the Gang and Narcotics Unit to combat the high volume of cases involving verified gang members. Today, the CSNPU works to identify and prosecute crime drivers, files nuisance actions to eliminate criminal activity at certain establishments in an effort to clean up neighborhoods and make them safer, prosecuting all felony drug offenders as well as working on cold case homicides.
Cases involve gang members and violent crimes, including homicides, aggravated robberies, kidnappings, rapes, criminal-attempted murders and narcotics trafficking.
The prosecution team also works daily with the Multi-Agency Gang Unit Operations Team, which was formed in 2011. This team is made up of highly-trained members of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, as well as the ATF, FBI and the U.S. Marshals. The Multi-Agency Gang Unit conducts long-term investigations of criminal gangs to disrupt illegal activities.
The CSNPU also works closely with Judge Dwyer’s Drug Court to rehabilitate non-violent adult offenders with drug-related criminal charges.
Special Victims Unit
The Special Victims Unit (SVU) focuses on the needs of those who are among the most vulnerable in our community. The SVU prosecutes all cases of rape, aggravated rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse and vulnerable adult abuse. The SVU was created in late 2010 as an expansion of the successful multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team (CPIT).
DUI Unit
The DUI Unit prosecutes all DUI cases in the Criminal Courts. Through a united effort with local law enforcement, the unit seeks to reduce the number of DUI-related fatalities and injuries in Shelby County.
The DUI Unit was created in October 2003 with two DUI prosecutors and a coordinator handling cases in four divisions of Criminal Court. Since then, the expanded unit now handles all DUI cases in the 10 Criminal Court Divisions with three prosecutors. In 2011, the DUI Unit began prosecuting all vehicular homicide cases.
Assistant District Attorneys assigned to the DUI Unit conduct training sessions several times a year for the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department. The training is designed to keep law enforcement officers updated on new laws and changes to existing laws.
Public Corruption and Economic Crimes Unit
The Public Corruption and Economic Crimes Unit (PCECU) is responsible for the prosecution of the criminal behavior government officials committed while acting on their official capacity and crimes involving complex schemes that cause large property losses. The unit’s purpose is to ensure that the District Attorney’s Office gives appropriate attention to crimes such as bribery, money laundering and theft from businesses, governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. Prosecutors and investigators work hand-in-hand with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of these offenses.
The PCECU also operates the District Attorney’s Bad Check Restitution Program. This statutorily established program provides a means for local merchants and citizens to recover funds from individuals who write worthless checks. Our Hot Checks Coordinator works directly with merchants and citizens to prosecute these cases.
In addition, the unit handles all asset forfeiture cases filed by the District Attorney’s Office.
The PCECU is part of the Memphis and Shelby County White Collar Crime Task Force that includes law enforcement officers from the Memphis Police Department Economic Crime Unit and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Law Enforcement Review Unit
Tasked with conducting an in-depth review of all closed or pending cases involving officers whose conduct has been found to violate department policies, state law or federal law.
Juvenile Court Unit
Shelby County Juvenile Court has exclusive original jurisdiction over any child under the age of 18 alleged to have committed a delinquent act within its jurisdiction. If a child commits a delinquent act, a petition is filed with the Juvenile Court and the District Attorney’s Office prosecutes the petition.
Prosecutors manage juvenile detention dockets daily. These cases address youth brought to Juvenile Court to determine the most suitable placement for the child while the case is pending in Juvenile Court.
There are several delinquency dockets each week to determine the facts of the case and disposition. Upon finding that the delinquent act was committed by the juvenile, the Court will determine which of the treatment alternatives best suits the child and circumstances.
Once a week, a truancy docket handles truant students and their parents or guardians. In 2011 Juvenile Court began pursuing “Educational Neglect” charges against parents and guardians who fail to cooperate in getting a child in their care to school.
Prosecutors may, under certain circumstances, seek to transfer a child to Criminal Court for prosecution as an adult. The Juvenile Court Judge may grant the transfer based upon proof of probable cause presented by the prosecutors and other statutory factors including the background of the youth, community interest and severity of the charges presented.
Community Outreach Team
This team consists of our Environmental Court staff, legal investigator, expungement attorney, community affairs director, case advocates and three prosecutors assigned full time to the Mt. Moriah, Old Allen and Tillman precincts.
Prosecutors are placed in precincts to develop partnerships with officers, community leaders and Neighborhood Watch groups. Through this geographic-based initiative, prosecutors can identify the worst criminal offenders and hold them accountable, while also trying to keep young, lesser offenders out of the justice system with alternative solutions.
The community affairs director coordinates events like Restoration Saturday and the Do the Write Thing anti-violence essay program.
Our expungement attorney works with non-violent offenders to clear their records.
Prosecutors in Environmental Court handle violations of the Neighborhood Preservation Act, which addresses vacant buildings that have become public nuisances. Other types of cases brought to the Environmental Court can be viewed here.
Justice Review Unit
The Shelby County Justice Review Unit (JRU) is an independent unit operating within the DA’s Office, reporting directly to DA Mulroy. The main work of the JRU, along with its physical files and interview space, will be intentionally separated from the District Attorney’s administrative offices within the Walter L. Bailey Criminal Justice Center. This separation from the active prosecutions conducted by the DA’s Office protects the independence and integrity of the JRU. You can view their website here.