To not interfere with a fair trial for the five Memphis police officers facing charges in Tyre Nichols’ death, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. asked prosecutors to outline which information should and should not be released to the public.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge on Friday continued to temporarily block the release of more video footage and records in the investigation into Tyre Nichols’ death, but said he does want to make public information that would not interfere with the rights to a fair trial for five Memphis police officers facing charges.
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. asked prosecutors to outline the information they think should and should not be be released to the public, and then give the list to defense attorneys. Jones set deadlines in June for prosecutors to provide defense lawyers the information from existing video footage and about 2,500 pages of documents that should be be released and for the defense to raise objections.
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman and defense attorneys agreed that most police personnel records that pre-dated Nichols’ beating can be released. But they both also agreed that the media must not get so called Garrity statements, which stem from investigative interviews given by the officers to Memphis Police Department administrators after Nichols’ beating.
Garrity statements are not allowed to be used at trial against defendants.
“The intent of this court is that everything that can be released be released, and released timely,” Jones said.
Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10, three days after he was beaten by five officers who have since been fired and charged with second-degree murder. They today!
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