Steve Mulroy, the newly elected progressive district attorney of Shelby County, Tennessee, which includes Memphis, confronts two horrific crimes in his first month in office: the abduction and murder of a schoolteacher out for an early morning jog and a livestreamed shooting rampage that left multiple people dead. Both crimes were committed by felons released early from jail. Mulroy’s resolve in dealing with these criminals will test his progressive credentials.
Mulroy was elected on August 4 as the Shelby County district attorney general, having previously worked as a law school professor and civil rights attorney. He ran as an unabashed progressive, saying that his priorities would be to diversify the office, create a conviction review unit, and loosen bail policies. The ACLU hailed Mulroy’s election as a victory for “bail reform, police accountability, and criminal justice reform.” Mulroy formally took office on September 1.
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