Man who threatened Sawyer booked on misdemeanor charge
George “K-Rack” Johnson, 46, was booked in the Shelby County jail Wednesday and charged with misdemeanor assault.
Yolanda Jones
Reporter
Yolanda Jones covers criminal justice issues and general assignment news for The Daily Memphian. She previously was a reporter at The Commercial Appeal.
There are 774 articles by Yolanda Jones :
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June 2021
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Public Safety -
Public Safety Ex-wife of Lorenzen Wright wants guilty plea thrown out
Sherra Wright wants a judge to toss her 2019 guilty plea in connection with the slaying of her ex-husband, former NBA star Lorenzen Wright.
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Public Safety State senator’s trial on fraud, money laundering to start June 14
State Sen. Katrina Robinson and two co-defendants are facing trial on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. The case is separate from allegations that Robinson stole more than $600,000 from her business, The Healthcare Institute.
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Public Safety MPD veteran Don Crowe named assistant police chief
MPD veteran Don Crowe has been promoted to assistant police chief. He will be second in command under new Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis, who starts June 14.
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Public Safety Youth assessment center set to open in Raleigh
A new Shelby County Youth Assessment Center is slated to open in July at the former Raleigh library. The county will operate the center.
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Public Safety Judge allows state to evaluate Pervis Payne’s mental state
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan ruled state prosecutors can hire an expert in the Pervis Payne case to determine if the death row inmate an intellectual disability.
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Public Safety Bartlett High School choir teacher indicted for theft
Paul Whited, a choir teacher at Bartlett High School, has been indicted on a theft charge, accused of stealing at least $6,900 in choir fees.
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Public Safety Judge Bernice Donald taking senior status on federal appeals court
U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bernice Donald plans to semi-retire by taking senior status on the court. She will still hear cases as a senior judge, but President Joe Biden will name a nominee to replace her.
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Public Safety Billy Ray Turner gets new trial date in Lorenzen Wright slaying
Turner’s case was one of hundreds delayed when the coronavirus pandemic shut down Shelby County Criminal Court trials last year.
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Public Safety Support group offers solace to survivors of gunshots
After a bullet shattered her jaw during a robbery, Alexis Chambers had to learn how to talk again.
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May 2021
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Public Safety Former charter school director indicted on theft, forgery charges
Former executive director of Memphis charter school indicted on theft and forgery charges after she was accused of stealing $4,500 from the now closed school.
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City of Memphis Funeral services announced for Memphis officer killed in crash
Memphis police officer Scotty Triplett was killed May 22 in a car crash while he was on duty as a motorcycle police escort.
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Public Safety Jail’s low vaccination rate fuels request for modified lawsuit settlement
Fewer than 10% of detainees at 201 Poplar have been vaccinated and criminal justice advocates have filed a motion asking the court to get the Sheriff’s Office to do more to implement a vaccination program — one of the terms agreed upon in a lawsuit settlement agreement.
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Public Safety Memphis police officer working as Lyft driver accused of rape, kidnapping
A Memphis police officer, who was moonlighting as a Lyft driver, has been charged with raping and kidnapping a passenger. Travis Pride, an officer for three years with MPD, has been relieved of duty while police investigate.
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Arlington Body found in wooded area off I-40 near Arlington
SCSO said a body was found Wednesday, May 19, in woods off of Interstate 40.
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Public Safety Former U.S. Attorney has a new job with state Comptroller’s Office
Michael Dunavant, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, has a new job with the state Comptroller’s Office.
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Update
Public SafetyAppeals court denies DNA testing in Sedley Alley case
Sedley Alley was executed in 2006 for the murder of Lance Cpl. Suzanne Collins. Alley’s daughter sought to have DNA evidence tested to see if it would clear his name.
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Public Safety Pervis Payne attorneys file petition to present intellectual disability claim
Attorneys for Pervis Payne have filed a petition in Shelby County Criminal Court, asking the court to recognize that Payne has an intellectual disability and under a new state law cannot be executed.
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Update
MetroCrack shuts down all traffic on I-40 bridge
A crack on the I-40 bridge from Memphis into Arkansas shut down traffic and drivers were being rerouted to I-55, over the old bridge.
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Public Safety Four teens charged in shooting of MPD officer, ATF agent
Four teens have been charged after allegedly shooting a Memphis police officer and an ATF agent Friday, May 7, in North Memphis as the Violent Crimes task force searched the area for a carjacked vehicle.
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Public Safety MPD officer, ATF agent injured in North Memphis shooting
A MPD officer and ATF agent were injured in a shooting Friday. Police said they were searching for a carjacked vehicle when suspects opened fire on them in North Memphis.
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City of Memphis Coalition gives new police chief 100 days to answer call for reform
Decarcerate Memphis, a criminal justice grassroots coalition, has given MPD’s new police chief 100 days to tackle reforms it says are needed to change the “culture and structure” of the department.
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Update
Public SafetyDavis confirmed as new Memphis Police chief
Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis became the new leader of the Memphis Police Department Tuesday, May 4, in a council vote that was almost unanimous.
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Public Safety New evidence surfaces in 16-year-old murder case
Vern Braswell, a former elementary school principal, has been in prison for 16 years after being convicted of killing his wife. New evidence has surfaced that his supporters hope is enough to get him released or a new trial.
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Premium
City of MemphisMPD chief nominee touted as ‘rising star’
As Durham Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis awaits confirmation from the Memphis City Council as the new leader of MPD, city leaders, former colleagues and activists from her past weigh in on her law enforcement career.
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