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‘Young Folks Rally’ Set to Oppose xAI for Environmental Justice

Young people are set to rally Saturday against Elon Musk’s xAI project in the name of environmental justice.

Two groups — Young Minds United and Tigers Versus Musk — are hosting a Young Folks Rally at the Kukutana Museum Ballroom located at 1036 Firestone Avenue on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“While many city leaders, including Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, believe that xAI is ‘not a threat’ and ‘monetarily good for Memphis,’ as citizens and the people who have to live with the consequences of these short-term decisions, we beg to differ,” Young Minds United said in a statement. 

Historically, young people have been at the heart of social justice and resistance  movements. A survey of 1,000 Americans from the United Way of the National Capital Area found that a third of Gen Zers are involved in activism work.

While the numbers are there, Jasmine Bernard, co-founder of Young Minds United, feels like history books intentionally don’t reflect this.

“Systems like adultism make it seem like youth don’t have as much say, when in reality we’re one of the strongest bodies in our country,” Bernard said. “As youth, we know the power that we have and we know how much people try to limit that.”

Bernard has always been interested in climate change, which prompted her to get involved in social justice. However, as someone living in South Memphis for a majority of her life she’s personally experienced how these injustices have plagued marginalized communities.

The rising high school junior noted that groups like Tigers Versus Musk are filled with college-aged people. While Bernard became involved in the group, she realized that she could engage youth and young people by starting Young Minds United.

“I was able to connect with other youth who felt just as passionately about these areas and share expertise,” she said. 

Bernard’s first time being able to publicly engage in conversation about xAI was during a fireside chat hosted by Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP) with Memphis Mayor Paul Young. 

In a video that went viral, Bernard can be seen telling Young and the crowd, “All money is not good money.”

A major criticism of the xAI project has been the lack of transparency about the project. Public officials have touted these chats and other public forums as moves towards transparency around xAI.

“It’s hard to see the people who are supposed to protect you not do that, especially when it’s not just the police,” Bernard said. “Your Black mayor, your Black county mayor, you see them as people who are supposed to care about their constituents. So, when you see them talk — like Mayor Lee Harris — [saying] xAI isn’t a threat, but it’s physically causing health side effects to the people in South Memphis, it’s kind of disappointing.”

Bernard said she’s still grappling with how to work with officials, but notes it can be hard to, specifically for those coming from oppressed and disadvantaged backgrounds. While she said some of these systems weren’t made for groups like women, Black people, and youth, strides can be made from the outside.

“If we come together as a force, that makes people intimidated,” Bernard said. “Youth decisions are so important, and you can’t make decisions for youth without youth. Nothing about us can be without us.”

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CannaBeat Film/TV News News Feature Opinion Politics

Memphis Flyer Podcast May 22, 2025: Anna Traverse

In this week’s Memphis Flyer Podcast, Contemporary Media CEO Anna Traverse talks about AI in the newsroom, the challenges of keeping the press free, and our cover story on MPD traffic stops and marijuana.

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Stand for Children Tennessee Joins ACLU in Request for MPD Records

National and statewide organizations are prompting the Memphis Police Department (MPD) to be transparent and accountable on documented practices.

Stand for Children Tennessee (Stand TN) joins the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other agencies across the nation to launch the Seven States Safety Campaign. Stand TN is leading the charge in Memphis, as the ACLU has submitted a public records request to MPD regarding “misconduct and civil rights violations.”

“As the federal government pulls back on police oversight, local communities are stepping up and calling for transparency and real reform,” the organizations said in a statement.

The ACLU submitted a request to MPD’s records office today asking for copies of records “concerning MPD’s use of force and stops.” They cited 50 separate incidents closest to April 30th regarding “uses of force by any specialized unit.”

Other requests included Blue Team incident and weapon reports, field investigation memos, and reports on juveniles injured by officer force.

Should the MPD deny any of these requests, they are required by Tennessee law to provide written notice as to why they declined to provide their response within seven business days.

This news comes as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the closure of its investigation of MPD. In December, the agency found that MPD uses excessive force; conducts unlawful stops, searches, and arrests; unlawfully discriminates against Black people when enforcing the law; and unlawfully discriminated in their response to people with behavioral disabilities.

At the time the investigation opened, former President Joe Biden controlled the DOJ. Today, the department announced they would be retracting “the Biden Administration’s findings of constitutional violations on the part of” the MPD and other police departments.

The campaign is demanding that similar changes be filed in Massachusetts, New York, Mississippi, and more, where similar federal civil rights investigations had been reported.

A statement from Stand TN condemned the local government for not taking “meaningful action” in the aftermath of the DOJ’s findings. The group also criticized Mayor Paul Young’s “integrity” regarding the city’s policing task force citing lack of clarity, transparency, and community accountability.

Several organizations urged Young to enter a consent decree with the DOJ after the findings were released. Organizations such as the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH), and Just City suggested “independent monitoring,” despite the mayor’s concern for the financial risks a consent decree would impose.

“The DOJ’s findings confirmed what Memphis communities have said for years: MPD’s abuse, excessive force, and lack of accountability are systemic, not isolated,” Cardell Orrin, executive director of Stand TN, said. “While city leaders chase an arbitrary ‘magic number’ of police, they’ve failed to invest in what truly keeps us safe: youth programs, mental healthcare, housing, transit, and more. This request for records will give us and other partners more power to push for the bold changes Memphis needs.”

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DOJ Ends MPD Investigation

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will close its investigation of the Memphis Police Department (MPD). 

In December, the DOJ found that the MPD uses excessive force, conducts unlawful stops, searches, and arrests, unlawfully discriminates against Black people when enforcing the law, and unlawfully discriminates in their response to people with behavioral health disabilities.

The DOJ was then controlled by President Joe Biden, and the announcement came after the election of President Donald Trump. Speculation at the time figured Trump would likely drop the investigation.

The DOJ said Wednesday it will also retract ”the Biden Administration’s findings of constitutional violations on the part of” the MPD and other police departments across the country. 

”The department is confident that the vast majority of police officers across the nation will continue to vigorously enforce the law and protect the public in full compliance with the Constitution and all applicable federal laws,” reads a statement from a news release issued Wednesday morning. “When bad actors in uniform fail to do so, the department stands ready to take all necessary action to address any resulting constitutional or civil-rights violations, including via criminal prosecution.”

Ben Crump, attorney for the family of Tyre Nichols, said the move is “attempting to erase truth and contradicting the very principles for which justice stands.”

“This decision is a slap in the face to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tyre Nichols, and to every community that has endured the trauma of police violence and the false promises of accountability,” Crump said in a statement. “These consent decrees and investigations were not symbolic gestures, they were lifelines for communities crying out for change, rooted in years of organizing, suffering, and advocacy.

“These moves will only deepen the divide between law enforcement and the people they are sworn to protect and serve. Trust is built with transparency and accountability, not with denial and retreat.”

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News News Feature

Where to Retire

When planning for retirement, people often focus on how much money they need to save, when they’ll retire, and how to spend their free time. An often-overlooked retirement planning consideration is where to retire — and the decision can have a significant impact on your finances. Here are some factors to consider when deciding where to retire:

• Income tax implications 

Let’s go ahead and start with the elephant in the room. Sadly, even after you finish working, you’ll still owe taxes. Taxes can have a significant impact on your retirement, and different states have different tax rates for retirement income. Some states have more favorable tax policies than others, which can allow retirees to keep more of their retirement income. In addition, some states don’t tax Social Security benefits or other types of retirement income, which can help you further maximize your retirement savings. 

• Retirement income

Social Security benefits — While most states don’t tax Social Security benefits, there are a few states that impose some form of taxes on them. Regardless of where in the U.S. you live, up to 85 percent of your Social Security income may be subject to federal income tax. 

Retirement plan distributions — Many people hold most of their retirement savings in tax-deferred accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s. While these vehicles provide a great way to save in a tax-deferred manner, retirement distributions from these types of accounts are subject to ordinary income tax at the federal level. However, some states don’t tax retirement plan distributions, which can help you maximize your funds available for retirement. 

Pension income — Some states differentiate between public and private pensions and may tax only public pensions. Other states tax both, while some states tax neither. Again, the amount of state tax you pay on this retirement income source can have a big impact on your lifestyle. 

Estate taxes 

In 2025, the federal government allows individuals to pass on up to $13,990,000 without any federal estate tax ($27,980,000 for married couples filing jointly). However, depending on where you live, you may need to pay state estate taxes. It’s important to understand the estate tax requirements of your current state as you’re planning your legacy, especially since some states’ estate tax limits may be lower than you would expect. 

• Capital gains 

Long-term capital gains are taxed by the federal government at more favorable rates than ordinary income. However, this is often not the case for states that charge state income tax. Many states don’t differentiate between earned income and capital gains, which means depending on the state in which you live, you may have significant tax liabilities on investment income. 

• Cost of living 

Cost of living can differ widely between various cities and states, making it essential to choose a retirement location you can afford. Some cities have a much lower cost of living than others, which allows you to do more with your retirement savings. By choosing a location with a lower cost of living, you may be able to afford a larger home, travel more often, or pursue hobbies and interests that may be out of reach if you were paying more for daily living expenses. 

Healthcare costs

When choosing where to retire, it’s important to find a location that offers access to high-quality healthcare facilities. Having convenient access to healthcare can help keep your costs down. 

Housing costs

Housing costs can vary widely between different cities and states, which is why it’s important to choose a retirement location that aligns with your housing budget. It’s also important to consider what property taxes you’ll be responsible for paying, as these too can vary widely. 

As you begin planning for your retirement, keep in mind it’s important to understand how where you live can impact your retirement finances. This knowledge allows you to choose a location that fits within your retirement budget and can help you live the lifestyle you want. 

Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.

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Cover Feature News

Are Memphis Police Over-Charging for Marijuana?

Memphis simmered in the July heat as a police cruiser pulled over a blue Nissan Altima motoring through the Downtown business district. The car’s temporary tag had expired days earlier, an oversight police often resolve by issuing a citation.

But this traffic stop took a more serious turn when a Memphis Police Department (MPD) officer said he “could smell an odor consistent with marijuana coming out of the vehicle.’’

After questioning a female passenger, police found slightly more than a half-ounce of marijuana in her purse — a small but critical amount that led officers to arrest the family-focused grandmother on a felony drug-trafficking charge. 

As a special task force begins reviewing U.S. Justice Department claims of abuse by MPD during traffic stops, reform advocates say the woman’s arrest is yet another example of overly aggressive policing in Memphis.

“It’s absolutely a trumped-up charge,” said Claiborne Ferguson, a longtime Memphis defense attorney who reviewed the July 2, 2024, police affidavit filed against the woman. He has no official connection to the case.

The woman, a cancer victim, said she is no drug dealer and doesn’t even smoke that much.

“It was crazy,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified. Although the charge against her was later dropped, she said she fears any association with a criminal charge. “I’m a real-life good person. I treat everyone with respect,” she said.

The incident is one of 13 traffic-stop cases identified by the Institute for Public Service Reporting in which Shelby County law enforcement officers signed felony marijuana affidavits, only to see those charges vacated in court. Attorneys who reviewed the affidavits for The Institute said they appeared deficient in supporting felony charges of intent to sell.

The charges — which often involved warrantless searches of vehicles — led arrestees to spend several hours or more in jail.

Dominique Hodges in the car she was arrested in back in December. The charges against her were later dropped. (Photo: Micaela Watts)

“I lost my job,” said Dominique Hodges, 26, who was arrested in December. Prosecutors dropped the charges in February, but not before she spent a terrifying night at Jail East, Shelby County’s women’s holding facility, and paid $700 in attorney fees and costs. She said the charges hanging over her caused her to lose a good-paying maintenance job.

“I cried and I cried,’’ she said of her trip to jail. There, jailers conducted an invasive search, she said. Later, Hodges watched in fear as an irate arrestee hit her fist against a wall over and over. “I wouldn’t wish this upon my worst enemy,’’ she said.

Among the 13 arrestees, 12 were Black, including Hodges and the grandmother.

All the arrests were made after officers said they smelled marijuana and either requested consent to search or used the smell as probable cause to search vehicles without consent.

The 13 arrests included 10 by MPD, two by the Sheriff’s Office, and one by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Both MPD and the Highway Patrol declined comment. The Sheriff’s Office didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.


A Memphis Police Department detective searches a car in October 2022 after officers said they spotted marijuana residue on the front console. Charges against the motorist were later dismissed at prosecutors’ request. (Photo: MPD Body Camera Footage)

Broad Police Discretion

The Institute identified the 13 cases while reviewing eight months of arrest data, including a six-month stretch between last April and September and a follow-up two-month stretch in December and January to assess patterns following the release of the Justice Department’s critical December 4th report.

Traffic stops reviewed by The Institute followed a general pattern: Motorists were pulled over for a missing headlight or taillight, tinted windows, expired or missing tags, failing to wear a seat belt, and occasionally for speeding or running a red light.

Officers then searched vehicles after saying they smelled marijuana.

Simple possession of small amounts of marijuana is a misdemeanor in Tennessee, which remains among a slim minority of states that haven’t legalized medicinal or recreational marijuana. In Shelby County, where marijuana prosecutions have been deprioritized, police can issue a misdemeanor citation for simple possession without making an arrest. At times, officers take no action at all when stopping motorists with small amounts of marijuana, according to interviews conducted by The Institute.

But a felony charge brings a guaranteed trip to jail.

Police generally have broad discretion when making arrests. Probable cause to arrest requires a lower threshold of evidence than proof required at trial, and police tend to charge suspects at the highest level available, defense attorneys said.

Attorneys who reviewed arrest affidavits for The Institute said some appeared to be borderline cases or “close calls” in establishing probable cause for a felony charge. In one case, a motorist charged with felony intent to sell was found with a small amount of marijuana and three guns, including a semiautomatic rifle. Records suggest it was a difficult matter to sort out: All the guns turned out to be legal. Tennessee doesn’t require permits to carry guns, and it allows most people other than individuals convicted of felonies to freely transport them in cars.

Such incidents require quick judgments often made under high-stress conditions, police say.

“It’s very tough because you don’t know what’s in that car,’’ said Mike Williams, a former patrolman and past president of the Memphis Police Association, a labor union. “I couldn’t imagine me personally being out there in the streets right now … because everybody has a damn gun. And a lot of these young people that are running around with these guns, they’re not afraid to use them.”

But reform advocates say there is a delicate balance between protecting public safety and eroding community trust. Even if a charge is later dismissed, arrests often pose hardships including job loss along with stiff fees and court costs. Often, vehicles are seized.

“So now because I get caught with this … I have to hire a lawyer. I have to go pay a bond. Get probation,’’ said Keedran Franklin, a criminal justice reform advocate who contends police often target people of color. “That … may put me $30,000 in debt.’’

Overall, African Americans represented 89 of 93 Shelby County defendants (96 percent) identified by The Institute as having been arrested between last April and September after officers said they smelled marijuana. Many of the traffic stops, which often led to charges unconnected to marijuana possession, were clustered in African-American neighborhoods in Orange Mound, Frayser, Hickory Hill, and South and North Memphis.

MPD’s focus on saturation patrols in “high-crime” neighborhoods and the potential for harassment alarmed Justice Department officials, who noted in the December 4th report that Memphis police stopped one Black man 30 times in three years.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said police need discretion when making arrests but conceded that evidence at times can’t support felony charges.

“It is not at all uncommon for the police to bring us a charge for felony intent to sell marijuana and we reduce it to a misdemeanor. And largely that’s not necessarily because we’re saying that the police over-charged but because there is a difference between the amount of evidence you need for probable cause to arrest and the amount of evidence you need to prove something beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” Mulroy said.

“So I’m not going to use a heavily charged word like abuse, but I will say that given the fact that the arrest itself can be disruptive to someone’s life, and given that it seems like this particular charge seems disproportionately targeted on the African-American community … one can see how a really aggressive posture of arresting and charging felonies for what may simply be simple marijuana possession can be problematic. It may be something that maybe this task force can look at.”

The task force formed when Mayor Paul Young tapped former federal Appeals Court Judge Bernice Donald to review Justice Department allegations outlined in its December 4th report. The 70-page report found MPD often conducts unlawful stops and searches, discriminates against Black people, and uses excessive force.

Tennessee is among a slim minority of states that doesn’t allow medicinal or recreational use of marijuana. (Photo: Marc Perrusquia)

Small Amounts, Big Charges

It was three days before Christmas, and Dominque Hodges was out partying with friends. They took her battered Chrysler Sebring, though she was riding as a passenger that night. When police spotted the car — missing rear bumper, burned-out front headlight, invalid drive-out tags — they pulled it over.

“They snatched me out of the car,’’ Hodges recalled.

According to her arrest affidavit, police searched the car after smelling marijuana and found a bag containing 18 grams, roughly enough to roll 18 to 36 marijuana cigarettes. Hodges said she admitted the pot was hers, arguing that she’s a smoker not a dealer.

“I’m telling them, ‘Why am I going to jail for this little bit? … Look, my mom is sick. I don’t have nobody that’s going to come and bail me out of jail.’’’

Under Tennessee law, a person who possesses a half-ounce (14.175 grams) or more of marijuana with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver is guilty of a felony punishable by 11 months to 60 years in prison depending on the amount and an individual’s prior record. Selling less than a half-ounce is a misdemeanor.

But defense attorneys say many officers don’t seem to understand that simple possession — even in amounts greater than 14.175 grams — is still a misdemeanor if the defendant lacked intent to sell.

“I have regularly heard officers and prosecutors say more than half [ounce] is a ‘felony amount’ but that is incorrect,’’ said Ben Raybin, a Nashville-based defense and civil rights attorney. “There still has to be an intent to sell, deliver, or manufacture.’’

Courts have ruled that to prove intent, authorities need evidence of something more than mere weight. They need other supporting details such as finding marijuana packaged in multiple baggies, large amounts of cash, firearms, ledgers, digital scales, or other indicators of a drug sale.

Yet repeatedly, records show, officers arrest motorists on charges of felony intent to sell marijuana with scant supporting evidence of an indication to sell — charges that are later vacated in court. The cases reviewed by The Institute were dropped by prosecutors via an action known as nolle prosequi, or the abandonment of a criminal charge.

In the July 2, 2024, arrest of the grandmother in Downtown Memphis, for example, police reported finding 16.1 grams in her purse. In an affidavit of complaint sworn out before a judicial magistrate, police listed no other evidence indicating an intent to sell. The woman was booked into Jail East, Shelby County’s detention facility for female arrestees. The charge was later dropped.

“I don’t see the slightest hint of evidence that she possessed it with the intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell it, so in my opinion this should have been charged [with] a misdemeanor rather than a felony,’’ Raybin wrote in an email. “If that was her only charge [as it was], she should have been given a citation rather than placed under a custodial arrest.”

Defendants charged with misdemeanors often are cited and released without being booked into jail. In some instances of simple marijuana possession, officers don’t even do that much, some allege.

“Most of the times [when] we get stopped, the police put the weed right back in the car,” Hodges said.

Recently retired General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson said that he’s heard similar accounts.

“It’s gotten out to the rank-and-file police on the street that the DA is not prosecuting small amounts of marijuana,’’ Anderson said. “These officers … don’t like coming to court. They don’t like wasting their time having to write report after report. So if it’s a small amount, what I understand they’re doing is just throwing it away or telling them, open it up, throw it out on the street or something.”

Overall, officers seize relatively small amounts of marijuana when making traffic stops on Memphis streets.

Among the 93 odor-triggered arrests identified by The Institute, the median amount of marijuana confiscated was 20 grams. That’s roughly enough to roll 20 to 40 marijuana cigarettes.

Studies suggest traffic stops like these aren’t effective in reducing overall crime rates, but they can accumulate significant arrests. During one three-day stretch in June, The Institute found, MPD arrested at least 10 people after smelling marijuana, including five with violent arrest histories and another with glassy eyes and slow reactions who was charged with driving while intoxicated by marijuana.

In those 10 arrests, police confiscated two assault-style rifles, a Glock 17 handgun with a switch that converted it to a rapid-fire machinegun, and three other pistols.

A heat map of marijuana searches in Shelby County (Photo: Shelby County General Sessions Court Records)

Questions surround MPD’s supervision and training

Marijuana grown today is much more potent — and pungent — than in years past. Its smell wafts across Memphis, emanating from cars, seats at Tiger football games, street corners, and alleyways.

Still, attorneys interviewed for this story said they believe police at times manufacture claims that they smelled marijuana as a pretext to create probable cause to search a vehicle.

The Justice Department report articulated similar concerns.

“While officers often justify vehicle and pedestrian searches based on statements that they have smelled the ‘odor of marijuana,’ courts and MPD’s own internal affairs unit have found that those justifications are not always credible,’’ the report said.

“… A prosecutor described MPD’s explanations as sometimes ‘cringey’ and gave the example of an officer claiming to have smelled marijuana in a car that was going 60 miles per hour.”

It’s difficult to assess how widespread the problem may be.

“The problem is, I don’t know [the full extent of] the abuses because nobody’s forcing them to keep up any records of when they search a vehicle saying they smelled marijuana and not finding anything,” Ferguson said.

Again, the Justice Department articulated similar concerns.

“This data does not include hundreds of thousands of traffic stops that did not result in citations because MPD officers do not document the reason for those stops,” the report said.

But the report was unequivocal in stating that MPD engages in a pattern of illegal traffic stops, arrests, and evidence collection in violation of the Fourth Amendment that protects citizens against unreasonable search and seizure.

“The pattern of Fourth Amendment violations stems from MPD’s decision to prioritize traffic enforcement as a central method to address crime in Memphis, while at the same time failing to ensure that officers understand and follow constitutional requirements when they stop and detain people,’’ said the report, which followed an 18-month investigation launched after the January 2023 police beating death of motorist Tyre Nichols.

“… Supervisors rarely review traffic stops to ensure they meet constitutional standards. But they do measure officers’ ‘productivity’ based in part on how many stops and citations they generate.’’

Ferguson said he believes MPD’s struggles stem from either poor training or coaching by supervising lieutenants.

“It’s either bad training or it’s purposeful malicious prosecution in order to seize vehicles. That’s all it can be,’’ Ferguson said. “Either they’re completely not training these officers or they train them specifically to do this to get into the car.”

Memphis police at a traffic stop in 2022 (Photo: MPD Body Camera Footage)

The Justice Department Raised Similar Concerns

“Officers will, for example, write in reports that they smelled marijuana, but there will be no mention of the odor of marijuana on body-worn camera footage,’’ the report said.

Such a scenario played out in federal court last year when prosecutors dismissed gun charges against Cedric Jackson, now 33, after inconsistencies arose between police reports and body camera footage.

Officers wrote in an October 2022 affidavit that they “observed a green residue consistent with marijuana’’ on the console of Jackson’s Chevy Tahoe. Citing that as probable cause to search the vehicle, officers found a Smith & Wesson handgun that Jackson, a convicted felon, could not legally possess.

“I am having trouble with the search,’’ U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker said in a January 4, 2024, hearing after reviewing bodycam footage. “… If they were relying on noticing the residue of marijuana on the console, I didn’t hear anybody say so at the time. I watched several videos and so I did not … see a lot of discussion about that. There were no photographs of the residue on the console area, so the court finds that the government did not carry its burden to show that that was the basis for a search.’’

Though Parker later dismissed a defense motion to suppress evidence seized in the search, finding the items would have been detected later in a routine inventory search of the car, the case’s credibility appeared shaken by defense challenges. Parker eventually approved a motion by prosecutors to dismiss the case.

Asked why prosecutors moved to dismiss the case, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Memphis declined comment.

Evolving  Marijuana Laws

Odor-related searches have grown complicated in Tennessee, in part because of law changes in other states. Tennessee is one of just 11 states where recreational or medicinal marijuana use hasn’t been legalized, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Yet motorists on Memphis’ streets may be carrying medicinal marijuana bought across the river in Arkansas or across the border in Mississippi. Recreational marijuana can be purchased via a short, 90-minute drive into southern Missouri.

“Now [when they return to Memphis] they’re presumed to be a felony drug dealer,’’ said defense lawyer Michael Working. “… You’re coming back with more than 14.175 grams every time. It’s like, you know, you don’t go to Arkansas to buy legal beer and buy [just] one can of beer.”

In Shelby County, simple possession of small amounts of marijuana often is tolerated.

District Attorney Mulroy said simple possession prosecutions had been deprioritized by his predecessor, Amy Weirich, though the practice varied among individual prosecutors, he said.

“I think it’s more uniform now [in] that it is not a priority,” Mulroy said. “We still enforce it. I mean, it’s the law, right? We enforce it. But we’ve got so many more important things to focus on, like violent crime.” Though there is “no blanket rule,” misdemeanor marijuana cases can lead to community service followed by a dismissal of the charges, he said.

Consequently, police often won’t bring misdemeanor cases, defense attorneys said. What’s emerged is a sort of felony-or-nothing situation. And as courts have trimmed back on Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure, the smell of marijuana as justification to search a vehicle has become all but impossible for defendants to overcome, defense attorneys say.

But a Tennessee Supreme Court ruling last summer may change some of the ground rules for marijuana-related traffic stops.

In that case, State of Tennessee vs. Andre JuJuan Lee Green, the court ruled that the smell of marijuana alone is not enough for a search, finding that officers must consider “the totality of the circumstances” before conducting a warrantless search.

That case originated from Clarksville, Tennessee, where officers used a drug-sniffing dog to find an ounce of marijuana, baggies, and a gun during a February 2020 traffic stop. Defense attorneys argued the search was improper because a police dog can’t tell the difference between legal hemp and illegal marijuana. Both are varieties of the same species. Congress legalized hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill and Tennessee followed suit in 2019.

The court rejected a defense motion to dismiss the case. Although it found that “the legalization of hemp has added a degree of ambiguity to a dog’s positive alert,” it ruled the search was merited by a totality of circumstances that included “suspicious answers” that the car’s occupants gave to officers’ questions and a backpack seen in plain view inside the car. Both the car’s driver and passenger denied ownership of the backpack.

Raybin said the Green case means officers will no longer be able to conduct probable cause searches of vehicles based solely on the odor of marijuana.

“In my opinion that is directly precluded by the Green case and everything should be thrown out,’’ said Raybin, who co-authored a friend-of-the-court brief in support of dismissing charges in the case.

How much actual impact the ruling will have remains to be seen, however. Officers don’t need much in the way of additional factors to justify a search, Raybin said. It can involve something as simple as a defendant appearing nervous, “sweating profusely,” or making inconsistent statements.

“… It still won’t take too much’’ to justify a search, Raybin said. 

Data for this story comes from public records kept by Shelby County’s criminal courts on behalf of Shelby County residents. The county makes individual records available. These records were compiled and processed with a web programming tool that enables a user to efficiently compile and see all of the public records, and sort them to identify and analyze arrest patterns. The sortable records are kept on a server maintained by a criminal justice reform group, People for the Enforcement of Rape Laws. The Institute for Public Service Reporting (IPSR) pays a license fee to access these records and cover the cost of programming and maintenance. IPSR independently verifies the data through computer analysis, spot-checking, and other methods. The reform group has no input or ability to influence the reporting of these public records. IPSR retains full authority over editorial content to preserve journalistic integrity.  

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News The Fly-By

MEMernet: Homicide Capital?, Owls on HBO?, and ’Cue Town 

Memphis on the internet.

Homicide Capital?

Screenshots of FBI Director Kash Patel calling Memphis the “homicide capital of America” flew all over the MEMernet early this week. The remark came on Fox News Sunday, with Patel promising a task force to handle the situation.

The Trump administration isn’t known for accuracy. So we’re going to dig into the crime numbers. Watch memphisflyer.com this week for what we find.

Owls on HBO?

Posted to Reddit by u/theunnamedban 

An eagle-eyed (or owl-eyed?) Redditor, u/unnamedban, spotted Delaney Buffett sporting a Memphis University School Owls T-shirt in a trailer for a new film, Adult Best Friends. Why? No one on Reddit was exactly sure. 

’Cue Town

Posted to Facebook by Memphis In May international Festival/SmokeSlam

One town. Two barbecue festivals. Blue smoke rolled all over Memphis last weekend with the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (left) and SmokeSlam (right). 

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News News Blog News Feature

Memphis University School To Begin First- Phase Improvements

Memphis University School (MUS) will soon begin the first phase of major improvements to its campus, starting with a new arts and science building.

The college-preparatory school for boys in grades six-through-12 announced its construction plans as part of a “two-fold plan for capital improvements and endowment investments.” The total campaign goal is $200 million.

MUS’ current endowment sits at $60 million, with an additional $50 million pledged. Officials said that amount positions them with “one of the largest independent day-school endowments in the region.” The funding enables the school to provide financial aid, recruit faculty, and maintain tuition pricing.

“Many educational institution capital campaigns include an endowment component on the tail-end once the money is raised for buildings,” MUS board chair Will Thompson. “We, on the other hand, intentionally began our campaign with the endowment because of its paramount importance.”

MUS Headmaster Peter Sanders said the endowment gives them the opportunity for innovation and development — not just financial backing.

“It gives us freedom to take on challenges and provides a commitment not only to our families also to the Memphis community,” Sanders said.

This first phase is one of three that aims to construct a number of additions to the campus, including a tech center and library, expanded middle school, baseball field house, and more. 

“An additional Park Avenue entrance and guard house will also be introduced during Phase 1,” MUS officials said. “In future phases, a new tech center and library, along with a new Lower School, will be constructed to accommodate a growing student body that includes the successful implementation of sixth grade in 2024-25.”

Sanders said the school’s current buildings do not reflect how strong and advanced its programs are.

“As we shape the future for our boys and pave the way for the organizations, cities, and regions they will shape, we are confident that the vision for this campus plan will provide full support for our faculty and students and deliver on our mission through this century,” Sanders said.

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Report: Shelby County Most Reliant on Federal Safety Net

Shelby County is more reliant on federal safety net programs — and more sensitive to cuts — than any other county in Tennessee, according to a new study by the Sycamore Institute. 

In 2024, Shelby County residents received nearly $2 billion in funds from federal safety programs Medicaid, TANF, WIC, and SNAP, according to the Sycamore Institute study.

President Donald Trump has promised deep cuts to these programs, meant to support low-income people and families. The federal budget bill enacting these cuts is now progressing through Congress.

In Memphis, the cuts could have an outsized effect on Black children, the largest collective group living here below the poverty line. The 2024 Poverty Fact Sheet from the University of Memphis says 27 percent of the city’s Black population lives below the federal poverty level. It says 36 percent of its impoverished population is under age 18.      

The biggest of these safety net cuts are promised for Medicaid, a healthcare block grant to help states pay for health care benefits for low-income populations. It’s called TennCare in Tennessee.

The cuts could mean thousands of citizens of Memphis and Shelby County would lose their access to healthcare.

The Sycamore Institute, a Nashville-based policy think tank for Tennessee, said 26.6 percent of Shelby County’s population is enrolled in TennCare. As of March, that was 241,804 people, the highest number of enrollees of any Tennessee county. Shelby County also has the largest population of any Tennessee county, outpacing second-ranked Davidson County by about 200,000 people.

Credit: Sycamore Institute

Cuts to TennCare could also means hundreds of millions of dollars might leave the Shelby County economy. Last year, TennCare paid health care providers $1.4 billion for claims for these Shelby-County enrollees. It paid hospitals $175 million for uncompensated care for these patients and those without health insurance.     

Cuts to TennCare could strain the budgets of Memphis and Shelby County hospitals and healthcare providers, forcing them to make tough choices. Tennessee’s refusal to expand the state’s Medicaid budget has brought the closure of several rural hospitals in the state. 

That decision, made by the Tennessee General Assembly, was a political, Obama-era decision by the state GOP to oppose the Affordable Care Act. That decision leaves $1.4 billion on TennCare’s table each year even through the Trump presidency. 

The Tennessee Justice Center says more than 300,000 Tennesseans are uninsured, with no access to healthcare. Medicaid expansion would cover this population, support 15,000 new jobs, lower uncompensated care costs for hospitals, and offer better long-term health outcomes.   

Sycamore Institute’s report showed Shelby County also has the largest statewide enrollment in other federal safety net programs including SNAP, TANF, and WIC.

Here’s a look at each of those:

SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

This program provides food benefits for low-income families.

March 2025 enrollment: 149,551 (16.4 percent of Shelby County population)

2024 federal expenditures: $370 million

TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 

This program provides temporary cash assistance and other benefits for low-income families. 

2024 enrollment: 66,017 (7.3 percent of Shelby County population) 

2024 federal expenditure: $9.9 million

WIC: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

This program provides food benefits and other nutrition support for low-income mothers and young children. 

2024 enrollment: 26,266 (2.9 percent of Shelby County population) 

2024 federal expenditure: $22.5 million

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Homicide Capital? Maybe

Is Memphis the “homicide capital of America,” just as FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News this weekend?

Patel’s statement came during a Fox News show interview Sunday, on which he also promised a task force to clean up the city’s homicide problem. 

But is it the homicide capital, really? Maybe, according to analysis by the Memphis Flyer

But finding a clear answer to what appears to be a simple question is no clear-cut task. Law enforcement agencies slice and dice crime numbers differently. There’s no report from experts yet available for 2025. Also, while the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission (MSCC) would likely be the expert on Memphis’ place among the country’s highest homicide rate, a request for guidance for this story was not immediately answered.

So, to get the latest information, we calculated the current murder rates of some of the usually top-ranked cities. The formula we used took the number of murders, divided those by a city’s population, and multiplied that by 100,000 to get the per capita amount. 

As for comparable cities, we started with St. Louis. It had the highest murder rate of any American city in 2024. St. Louis had a total homicide rate of around 69 per capita last year. Memphis’ rate was around 40 per capita. 

For 2025 so far, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has reported 48 homicides. That gives its population of around 280,000 a homicide rate of 17 per capita. But the police department did not report homicides separately from murders. 

Memphis, using the same formula, has a homicide rate of 17.8 per capita so far this year, slightly higher than St. Louis. But the Memphis Police Department (MPD) reports murders separately from homicides. And the Memphis murder rate so far in 2025 (on 97 total murders) is 15.8 per capita, just below that of St. Louis. 

Other cities, usually high on annual homicide rate rankings, have fallen so far this year. Baltimore’s homicide rate is 6.8 per capita. New Orleans is 9.6 per capita this year.  

Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s office offered no guidance on comparing homicide rates but issued this statement: 

“MPD has always collaborated with federal agencies on addressing violent crime, and we’re encouraged by any effort that brings more resources to Memphis,” Young said in a statement. “We look forward to learning more from our federal law enforcement partners. 

“Locally, we’re already seeing results. Through our recent Fugitive Task Force and other strategic operations, we’ve taken fugitives off the streets and disrupted gang activity across the city. With stronger collaboration and steady local leadership, we’ll keep pushing forward to make every Memphis neighborhood safer.”

Kash’s statement brought quick backlash from Memphians, figuring it could be just another Trump Administration official favoring hyperbole over accuracy. But, again, it may depend on where he got his information.

Patel said “homicide,” not murder. There is a difference. Homicide is an incident in which one person kills another. Killing in self defense, for example, is a justifiable homicide, not murder. Same with fatal car accidents. Murder is homicide with intent to kill. While it sounds like splitting hairs (maybe), the two things are different. 

Also, there’s nothing uniform about crime statistics. Agencies collect and report this information differently.          

“For example, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) may release figures for ‘homicides’ rather than ‘murders,’” reads an explainer from the MSCC. “Not every homicide is a murder … 

“Also, for certain violent crimes such as aggravated assault, the MPD tracks incidents while the [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation — TBI] data is based on the number of victims … One incident can involve multiple victims.”

We’ll update this post with new information or clarifications.