Here is what the two contenders for General Sessions Court clerk told The Daily Memphian about what they each would do if they win the Aug. 1 election.

Lisa Arnold and Tami Sawyer are the candidates in the only countywide race on the Aug. 1 ballot. The election will mean a change in the administrator and records keeper for the state’s largest court system.

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Lisa Arnold, Tami Sawyer on their plans if elected General Sessions Court clerk

Lisa Arnold, Tami Sawyer on their qualifications for General Sessions Court clerk

A U.S. Army veteran charged with fatally shooting a homeless man has also been accused of attacking another homeless person with a knife in Downtown Memphis, court documents show. 

The announcement comes after reports that MPD Assistant Chief Shawn Jones lives in Georgia and has voted twice in the state this year.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of Demarion Tackett after he did not appear for a hearing to revoke his bond filed by prosecutors. 

Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Division 8 Judge Lee Wilson, who also runs the county’s drug court program, is the new leader for the commissioners. 

Joshua Zimmerman, 31, was in court Friday, June 14, for a hearing related to multiple felony charges in DeSoto County including attempted murder, armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. 

MPD issued this statement about the official who makes $177,768.76 annually: “Shawn Jones’ primary residence is still in the state of Georgia. Tennessee state law does not permit restrictions on the residency of first responders.”

The Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner painted a picture: a bologna sandwich, a fruit cup, a bag of chips and a carton of Jungle Juice. That’s the meal waiting for those arrested for a DUI.

Previously, the burden to remove an unlawful occupant from a property fell on the homeowner and involved a lengthy court eviction process, which state Rep. Tim Rudd, R-Murfreesboro, said could take up to two years and cost thousands.

Related story:

 Here’s a rundown of Tennessee laws taking effect July 1

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft ruled that actions taken by General Sessions judge Sheila Renfroe were “clearly indicative of personal animosity toward” an assistant public defender.

Thomas Waller was arrested Thursday, June 27, after Circuit Court Judge Celeste Wilson ordered him held for being intoxicated in court.

Following two physical altercations with staff members, Alegend Jones was placed in a “therapeutic hold,” a type of brief physical restraint where staff hold a child’s arms and legs while they are standing to regulate their behavior.

According to a statement, the inmate, Elijah Jenkins, broke out a window on a transport van while he was being transported back to the corrections center located at 1045 Mullins Station Road.

Officials at the youth residential facility continued to push back Tuesday, June 25, against earlier claims Alegend Jones died of head trauma while in their custody.

James “Wes” Blair, currently chief of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, will begin his new role Aug. 12. 

On Monday, Hernandez Govan posted a $250 bail on a suspended license charge and a $2,000 bail on a stalking charge.

Zimmerman is wanted by authorities in at least three states, including Texas for the 2023 murder of Keyanna Shantall Mercer in Houston. 

Prosecutors in the case petitioned the court to revoke or increase the suspect’s bond April 12: “Since being released, the state has reason to believe the defendant has been in possession of illegal narcotics and firearms.”

“I’m glad something’s gonna be done,” said Katina Nuñez, of the arrest of a suspect in her husband’s death. “Because it’s been almost two years. And the system has definitely failed us as a family and failed many other victims here in Memphis.”

A former Collierville officer had his service weapon while working as an armed security officer at a secondary job.

According to court records, this latest delay marks at least the 60th time this particular case against Cordero Ragland, who has a lengthy criminal history, has been reset since a grand jury indicted him in 2017.

DeMario Pree, who previously worked for Collierville and was employed by Olive Branch police, was dismissed from the Mississippi department after he was decertified by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. 

Authorities have begun Phase 2 in the search for an escaped DeSoto County inmate, and the reward for his capture is $10,000.

Crime is down in the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood this year compared to last. But some residents still don’t feel safe.