The city of Memphis is located in Tennessee. The Democratic lawyer who promised to make abortion prosecutions under Tennessee's "trigger law" an extremely low priority in the county that includes Memphis defeated the incumbent Republican district attorney who refused to say whether she would go after doctors who perform the procedure.
A new state law requiring strict sentencing for violent crimes and clashing over abortion prosecutions were some of the issues that resulted in a win for Steve Mulroy.
Mulroy will be in office on September 1. He said his top priority is consulting with staff to come up with strategies to fight violent crime.
He said he was looking forward to meeting the people in the office.
The district attorney in the county has been there for a long time. She oversaw successful prosecutions in high-profile cases, such as the murder of NBA player Lorenzen Wright, and developed a program that uses a panel of community members to hold low-level offenders accountable.
He has been criticized. She came under fire for prosecuting a black Lives Matter activist who tried to register to vote. The man was sentenced to six years in prison. Legal experts thought the sentence was excessive.
A judge threw out the sentence and ordered a new trial after it was found that the Tennessee Department of Correction failed to turn over a document. The decision not to pursue a second trial was made in the interest of the judicial economy.
The lead prosecutor in the trial of Noura Jackson was reprimanded for her actions.
There were allegations that she did not turn over a key witness statement to the defense until after the trial and that she commented on Jackson's right to stay silent.
Alford pleas allow defendants to avoid admitting guilt but still acknowledge there is enough evidence to convict.
Mulroy, a law professor, civil rights lawyer, and former federal prosecutor argued over Tennessee's new "truth in sentencing" law, which requires serving entire sentences for various felonies.
The law helps ensure justice for victims of violent crimes and makes those who break the law more accountable, according to the law professor.
Mulroy told the AP that the law doesn't reduce crime or give incentives for people in prison to rehabilitate. He said that the law drives up Tennessee's prison populations and budgets, using funds that could be better used on youth intervention and community reentry programs.
The candidates fought over the pending abortion law in Tennessee.
If the procedure is necessary to prevent the pregnant person's death or serious impairment of a major bodily function, the Tennessee law would ban all abortions.
Doctors could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if they are found guilty of performing an abortion.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Mulroy said the criminal justice system is not the right place to handle reproductive choice matters.
She didn't say if she would prosecute doctors who perform abortions. It would be a violation of Tennessee code for her office to issue a broad and hypothetical statement.
The battle for state attorney general is an example of abortion being an issue in under ticket races. Democrats in Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio and elsewhere are portraying themselves as backstops against potentially more restrictions on abortion rights, while many Republicans are promising to support tougher laws.
It has been a great honor to serve and she will continue to fight for crime victims.
That's right.
The reporter for the AP contributed to the report.
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