SMG News Wire
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is demanding answers from Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, raising serious concerns about what she says is a failure to prosecute dangerous criminals in Memphis—even as federal and local law enforcement efforts have dramatically reduced crime across the city.
During an interview on The Todd Starnes Radio Show, Blackburn detailed the success of the Memphis Safe Task Force while sharply criticizing Mulroy’s handling of criminal cases.
“The people of Memphis are really stirred up about this and they are talking to the state legislators and to the governor,” she said. “They’re talking to our office and saying This DA has got to come in line and prosecute these people.”
The Tennessee Republican sent a demand letter Friday to the district attorney seeking an explanation for what she described as lenient prosecution policies and a pattern of releasing offenders back onto the streets.
According to Memphis Crime Beat, hundreds of criminal defendants were released into Shelby County with little or no punishment.
The report alleges that 144 caes were dismissed and of the 370 cases that were prosecuted, 178 received suspended sentences, 63 received diversion and 45 were released with time served. Only 84 defendants got prison time.
Memphis Crime Beat reports that 75 percent of the criminal court cases resolved in December 2025 received no prison time and 49 percent of all sentences imposed were less than a year.
“These prosecutorial outcomes raise serious questions about your office’s ability to enforce Tennessee’s criminal laws and hold violent criminals accountable,” Blackburn wrote in the letter. ” Memphians expect that serious crimes will be punished with stringent sentences, particularly at a time when extensive federal, state and local law enforcement resources have been deployed to Shelby County to Make Memphis Safe Again.”
Blackburn credited the task force with delivering significant results in the city, describing the initiative as “unbelievably successful.”
“We get calls in our office every single day from people saying, thank you for caring about Memphis,” Blackburn said. “I love Memphis. I love Shelby County. I love the west part of our state and bringing attention to this and getting the commitment from (FBI Director) Kash Patel and Attorney General (Pam) Bondi and then President Trump to put these resources to work.”
Despite those gains, Blackburn warned that Mulroy threatens to undermine the progress made by federal authorities and law enforcement agencies.
“That is what is happening on these state and local-based crimes because of D.A. Mulroy,” Blackburn said, accusing the district attorney of dismissing or reducing serious charges. “Any crime that can go federal, our U.S. Attorney Mike Donovan, who is doing a fabulous job, takes those crimes federal. And we are getting prosecutions there and getting these criminals locked up.”
The senator cited statistics from December 2025 that she says demonstrate a troubling trend in Shelby County’s criminal justice system.
“When you look at the stats from December, and there were 514 felony cases were resolved in December of 2025,” Blackburn explained. “Now, 144 of those, Mulroy dismissed. I just said, no problem here, go on.”
She continued by outlining how many offenders avoided significant jail time.
“Now, there were 370 prosecuted cases. 178 defendants received suspended sentences, probation or probation only. And this is unbelievable. So they have these offenses, but he’s just going to put them on probation and let them walk. 84 defendants received prison time.”
Blackburn added that many of the sentences were minimal, arguing that the approach puts public safety at risk.
“So out of the 514, only 84 went to jail, 63 received diversion, 45 were released with time served,” she said. “And when you’ve got your U.S. Attorney and your U.S. Marshal and all these federal agencies that are here working with the TBI, THB, and the National Guard, and we are getting criminals off the street, and people can go downtown. People can go out and about. And they’re not worried. Kids can go play out in the yard and you’ve got a D.A. who will not prosecute these criminals. This is unbelievable.”
Blackburn confirmed she has given Mulroy a deadline to respond to her demand letter, emphasizing the importance of cooperation among all levels of government.
“We are putting a lot of resources into making certain that we not only get the crime rate down but that we keep it down,” she said. “So with everybody doing their part except the DA, we need the DA to join us and to work on this.”
The senator’s letter calls for answers by March 6, as officials continue efforts to combat crime and maintain public safety in Memphis.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Social media is once again throttling conservative content. Click here to sign up for my free daily news briefing to get exclusive conservative news and commentary delivered to your inbox.