Judge: State law taking power from DAs is unconstitutional
Judge Paula Skahan (above) ruled Monday that McKay and Mulroy had standing to challenge the law and that it violated Article 6 Section 5 of the state constitution, both of which the state had disputed. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
A local judge declared a new state law unconstitutional Monday. The law, signed in April, takes away power from local district attorneys to represent the state in some death penalty cases when the sentence is challenged.
Topics
tennessee constitution Judge Paula Skahan Steve MulroyAarron Fleming
Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.
He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on DeSoto County and the surrounding municipalities.
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