Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor’s (R-Memphis) ‘Make Memphis Matter’ initiative has been applauded by the Shelby County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (SCDSA).
Read the full storyTag: crime
State Senator Brent Taylor Defends Intent to File Ouster Resolution Against Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) is defending his intent to file a Senate Joint Resolution requiring the removal of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy during next year’s legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly despite critics calling the move “an attempt to overturn an election.”
Read the full storySurgeon General Issues First-Ever Warning on Gun Violence
The U.S. Surgeon General on Tuesday declared firearm violence a public health crisis in America.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s advisory is the first publication from the Office of the Surgeon General focused on the issue.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Council Passes Mayor’s Multi-Billion Dollar Transit Plan on First Reading Despite Community Backlash, Safety Concerns
The Metro Nashville Council passed Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s multi billion-dollar transit plan on its first reading during Tuesday’s meeting.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor Says ‘Not a Single Person Pushed Back’ on His Idea to Remove Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy from Office
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said “not a single person” he’s talked to in Memphis has pushed back on his intent to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy.
Read the full storyShelby County District Attorney Drops Diversion Plan for Felons in Possession of Firearms When Threatened to Be Removed from Office
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced his office would not pursue a previous diversion plan for felons in possession of firearms after Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said that he intends to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Mulroy.
Last week, Mulroy announced that his office was considering an “alternative approach” for felons charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by offering diversion to such defendants.
Read the full storyKnown Criminal Arrested, Charged for Exposing Himself and Touching Woman at WeGo Bus Station: Report
A man with a lengthy criminal record was arrested and charged on Sunday for allegedly following, touching, and exposing himself to a woman at a WeGo bus station in Nashville.
Read the full storyAkron Shooting Leaves One Dead, 24 Injured
A shooting that unfolded in Akron early Sunday morning has left 24 injured and one dead, according to the Akron Police Department (APD).
Read the full storyRule of Lawfare: Jury Instructions from NY Judge to Manhattan Jurors in Trump ‘Hush Money’ Case Contained Made-up and Selectively Chosen Language
A New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 criminal counts related to falsifying business records last week, prompting outcry that New York Judge Juan Merchan, who was handpicked to handle the case and who donated to Joe Biden, committed misconduct during the trial, including how he handled the jury instructions. A CNN senior legal analyst reported that the case was full of so many legal stretches that employees of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office referred to it as the “zombie case.”
Daniel Street, an attorney in Louisiana who writes about lawfare, told The Tennessee Star the jury instructions were “terrible.”
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: ‘Bone-Chilling’ to See 15-Year-Old Alleged Bellevue Killer Smiling After Crime
Tom Pappert, the lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the photograph released by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) that shows the 15-year-old arrested for the fatal Wednesday night shooting in Bellevue smiling after the incident is “bone-chilling.”
On Thursday, Pappert reported that MNPD confirmed the arrest of 15-year-old De’Anthony Osasosifo and named him as a suspect in the Wednesday night shooting in the parking lot of the Red Caboose Park in Bellevue that left a 13-year-old dead and his 16-year-old sister hospitalized.
Read the full storySuspect in Custody Following Stabbing at WeGo Bus Station: Report
A suspect is in custody for allegedly stabbing a homeless man at the WeGo bus station on Thursday morning in Nashville’s Edgehill community, according to WKRN.
Police were dispatched to the incident around 5:15 a.m. on Thursday about two men fighting at the intersection of 12th Avenue South and Wedgewood Avenue, the outlet reported.
Read the full storyJury Convicts Memphis Man of Child Abuse and Murder in Death of Two-Year Old Son
After just one hour of deliberations, a jury delivered guilty verdicts last week against Memphis father Antonio First for Aggravated Child Abuse, Murder in the Perpetration of Aggravated Child Abuse, Aggravated Child Neglect, and Murder in the Perpetration of Aggravated Child Neglect, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
The charges stem from the death of First’s two-year-old son, Brayton Brooks, who was found unresponsive and cold to the touch by paramedics on June 24, 2020.
Read the full storyHouse Republicans Forcing Tough and Defining Votes on Democrats Ahead of November Election
Ahead of the November election, Republicans have forced tough votes on Democrats that may hurt their chances at the polls. From election security to law enforcement to illegal immigration, House Republicans have passed bills that most House Democrats have voted against, despite Americans’ prevalent concerns about those issues.
According to the Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted with Noble Predictive Insights in March, when given a range of top concerns, 45 percent of likely voters said inflation/price increases, 44 percent said illegal immigration, and 24 percent said the economy/jobs.
Read the full storyInside Nashville Metro Council’s Decision to Deny Morgan Wallen Sign over ‘Aerial Encroachment’ and Past Remarks
Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick provided an inside look of the council’s decision to deny a sign from being displayed on the exterior of country music artist Morgan Wallen’s downtown bar, explaining how the ordinance to deny such display dealt with “aerial encroachment” and was a “standard operating procedure” before members personally smeared the artist for his past actions.
Read the full storySen. Brent Taylor Visits New Republican Club in Memphis to Talk Crime Control
A state senator visited with a new Republican club in a majority-black Memphis area to discuss solutions to rampant crime in the city.
The Whitehaven Republican Club, which formed last year, reportedly invited State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) to speak at the Whitehaven YMCA.
Read the full storyLos Angeles’ Troubling Crime Stats Stemming from Public Transit Offers Glimpse into Nashville’s Future with Mayor O’Connell’s Transit Plan
A report out of Los Angeles regarding the city’s crime rates on its public transportation services is being flagged by a local watchdog in Nashville as a glimpse of what Music City’s future may look like if Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s multi-billion-dollar transit plan is implemented.
O’Connell’s transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” would be funded by a half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax to construct miles of new sidewalks, bus stops, transit centers, parking facilities, and upgraded traffic signals around Nashville.
Read the full storyBen Cunningham Points Out Major Concerns with Nashville Mayor’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Transit Plan
Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, is speaking out about multiple concerns with Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s multi billion-dollar transit plan unveiled last month.
O’Connell unveiled his billion transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last month.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor Says Memphis Will Be ‘Hollowed Out’ If Crime is Not Addressed
State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) warned that Memphis will be ‘hollowed out’ if its crime problem is not addressed.
Taylor, who sponsored several crime-related bills in the recently-adjourned legislative session of the General Assembly, said the response he has received from the community in Memphis for his work to crackdown on crime has been positive.
Read the full storyMemphis Man Released on Bail Hunts Down, Shoots Witness from Trial
A Memphis man out on bond for his alleged involvement in a shooting earlier this year is behind bars once again after being accused of hunting down and shooting a witness who testified at trial for the earlier shooting case.
On Monday, ABC24 News reported that it had obtained an affidavit from Shelby County court records showing that officers with the Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to an aggravated assault on May 2 in the area of James Road and Raleigh-Millington Road.
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Signs Bill Preventing Judges from Using ‘Ability to Pay’ Bail System
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill this week that bans judges in the state from using “ability to pay” bail systems.
“Ability to pay” bail systems are bail calculators that determine a defendant’s bail based on the amount of money immediately available to them. The system was recently implemented in Memphis.
Read the full storyTennessee Legislature Approves Bills to Report on Immigration, Crime
The Tennessee Legislature passed a pair of bills intended to fight illegal immigration in the state.
The bill will require the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference to collect and compile the data on the costs related to illegal immigrants in the state who are charged or convicted of a criminal offense. The report will be sent to the governor and both the House and Senate speaker.
Read the full storyShelby County Sheriff Makes Plea to Parents as Youth Justice and Education Center Nears Capacity
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. is pleading with parents to provide their children with guidance and involvement as the Youth Justice and Education Center nears capacity.
The Youth Justice and Education Center is a 146-bed, single-occupancy secure detention center designed for youth “identified to be a danger to themselves, a danger to the community, or a flight risk.”
Read the full storyBiden to Commute Sentences of Tennessee Drug Dealers
The White House Wednesday announced commutations for five major drug dealers, three of whom are Tennessee residents.
Daequon Charles Davis of Johnson City was convicted of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine and was serving an almost 22-year sentence with a subsequent 10 years of supervised release, which began in 2017. Biden commuted for a period of 10 years, leaving intact 10 years of supervised release.
Read the full storyShooting at Illegal Block Party in Memphis Leaves 2 Dead, 6 Injured
A shooting that unfolded at Orange Mound Park in Memphis Saturday evening has left two dead and six others wounded, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Read the full storyShelby County District Attorney’s Office Adds Additional Charges to 17-Year-Old Involved in Shootout That Killed Officer Joseph McKinney
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced his office is pursuing new charges against the 17-year old involved in last week’s shootout that killed Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney.
Read the full storyGeneral Assembly Passes Bill for Stricter Bail Requirements
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday that strengthened bail requirements.
HB 1719 “removes the defendant’s financial condition as a consideration for the magistrate in determining the amount of bail necessary to reasonably assure the appearance of the defendant at trial and protect the safety of the public.”
Read the full storyConservative Candidate Brad Miller Running Against Election Fraud Denying Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkner
Republican Brad Miller, a longtime prosecutor who served as Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marines, where he still works as a prosecutor, is challenging incumbent Pinal County Attorney Republican Kent Volkmer, an election fraud denier, for the office. Miller points to a long list of problems with the office, including mishandling criminal issues and election integrity, as reasons change is needed.
Miller, who also practices civil law, states his principles on his website, “We must protect our borders, we must stand by and support our police, and we must safeguard our way of life.” He champions the Second Amendment, “I will protect your right to own a gun!” He said he will keep “woke policies” like ESG, “anti-American indoctrination,” and “dubious sexual education” pushed by “extreme leftist ideologies” out of education. He will “stand tall and provide a voice for parents and elected officials, allowing them to make informed decisions based on unbiased information.”
Read the full storyOne Memphis Police Officer Killed, Two Others Shot While Responding to Suspicious Vehicle Occupied by Known Criminal
Reactions have poured in after Memphis police officer Joseph McKinney was shot and killed early Friday morning while he and other officers were responding to a suspicious vehicle call.
On Friday approximately 2:00 a.m., officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call at Horn Lake Road and Charter Avenue, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Read the full storyPoll Finds Biden Hemorrhaging Support Among Crucial Voting Block — Even as They Trend Democrat on Key Issues
President Joe Biden is losing support among Latinos ahead of the 2024 election despite the crucial voting block moving toward the Democratic Party on key issues, a Tuesday poll found.
Support for Biden among Latino Americans has steadily declined since the last time the question was asked in June 2023, and he now holds only a nine-point favorability lead over former President Donald Trump, according to an Axios/Ipsos survey. The poll also found that Latinos are backing Democrats on the issues of abortion and immigration, and are trending toward the party on the economy and crime.
Read the full storyCommentary: Rethinking Tennessee Justice to Put Us on a Path to Public Safety and Fiscal Responsibility
At its core, conservativism holds that America is at its best when families are strong, communities are safe, and the economy is booming. But in recent years, in certain parts of Tennessee, violent crime has risen even though the state has increased spending to keep more of its citizens incarcerated for longer. It’s only prudent to ask whether the current approach is working.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Signs Bill Prohibiting Local Government from Restricting Duties of Law Enforcement
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill prohibiting local governments from limiting the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct routine traffic stops on Thursday.
The bill, SB 2572/HB 1931, was sponsored by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and State Representative John Gillespie (R-Memphis).
Read the full storyConservatives Hope Supreme Court’s Initial Ruling on Texas Immigration Law Inspires Other States
A preliminary Supreme Court ruling that allowed Texas to begin enforcing a state law empowering local police to arrest and deport illegal aliens if the federal government doesn’t should inspire other states to follow suit, prominent conservatives tell Just the News.
Read the full storySen. Brent Taylor Continues Fight Against Memphis Crime with Two New Bills
The Tennessee State Senate on Monday passed two bills sponsored by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) that focused on his continued efforts to fight crime in Memphis.
SB 2659, called the Juvenile Organized Retail Theft Act (JORTA), according to the General Assembly’s website, is a bill that “allows a juvenile court to transfer a child 15 years of age or older to be tried as an adult in criminal court for the offense of organized retail crime, theft of a firearm, or an attempt to commit such offense.”
Read the full storyBill Prohibiting Local Government from Restricting Duties of Law Enforcement Passes General Assembly, Heads to Governor Lee’s Desk
A bill that would prohibit local governments from limiting the ability of a law enforcement agency to conduct routine traffic stops passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn Join Colleagues in Sponsoring the Laken Riley Act
Tennessee U.S. Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) were among a group of Republican U.S. senators that introduced the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday.
Read the full storyTrump Pays Tribute to Laken Riley, Blasts Biden Border Policies as ‘Crime Against Humanity’
Donald Trump met with Laken Riley’s family and unleashed a blistering attack Saturday on President Joe Biden’s border policies as a “crime against humanity” as the two likely general candidates staged dueling events in the battleground state of Georgia. “Joe Biden has no remorse, no regret, no empathy, no compassion, and worst of all, he has no intention of stopping the deadly invasion that stole precious Laken’s beautiful American life,” Trump told a rally in Rome, Ga., the home district of close ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Read the full storyTwo Ohio Women Arrested for Using Dead Man’s Corpse to Withdraw Money from Bank
Two women in Ashtabula, Ohio, have been arrested and charged for their alleged transport of an elderly man’s corpse to a bank for the illegal withdrawal of cash.
On Thursday, the Ashtabula Police Department (APD) announced that it received a call from the Ashtabula County Medical Center (ACMC) on Monday concerning a deceased elderly man who was dropped off at their facility by two unidentified females.
Read the full storyWilliamson County Sheriff Candidate Jeff Hughes Addresses Opposition to Permitless Carry Bill in 2022
Former chief of Brentwood Police Jeff Hughes, who is running for Williamson County Sheriff, addressed controversy surrounding his stance in 2022 against a bill in the Tennessee General Assembly allowing for the permitless carry of firearms.
Hughes said his stance against the bill was coming from a matter of “public safety and officer safety,” specifically regarding the bill’s lack of training requirement for gun owners.
Read the full storyCouple Flees Minneapolis as Crime Turns Neighborhood They Once Loved into ‘Third-World Country’
It’s not often a mid-morning interview starts with such a stern warning.
“Didn’t you tell her to be careful?” Jon Loidolt asked.
Read the full storyCenter for Immigration Studies Executive Director Mark Krikorian: There’s Very Little Screening of Incoming Illegal Aliens for Health Problems or Criminal Behavior
Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said migrants who are crossing illegally into the U.S. are not being thoroughly screened for illnesses or criminal backgrounds.
“They often screen them before they go to detention, but they’re not being detained,” Krikorian explained on Thursday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy. “As far as criminal behavior, they do run their names through some databases before they let them go, but that only works if we have records of them having committed crimes in the United States. The problem always with vetting is garbage in, garbage out. Do you think that the Somalia DMV or the medical records office or whatever in Venezuela is going to tell us anything about people? Of course not. So, yes, there is some kind of pro forma screening but it doesn’t really screen very much.”
Read the full storyRampant Crime Takes Toll on America’s Small Businesses, New Survey Reveals
Nearly one-third of small business employers in January said that crime has raised everyday business costs, according to a Job Creators Network Foundation (JCNF) poll obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Around 31% of small businesses surveyed in January said that neighborhood crime has increased business costs through added expenses associated with extra security or stolen inventory, with employers in the western U.S. being the most likely to say they were affected at 35%, according to the poll. Businesses with $100,000 to $250,000 in revenue in a year were the most likely to say that neighborhood crime has increased business costs, with 53% saying yes, followed by businesses with less than $100,000 in revenue at 47%.
Read the full storyTennessee State Senator Brent Taylor Sponsors Several Crime-Related Bills in Effort to ‘Make Memphis Matter’
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) announced he is sponsoring several crime-related bills this legislative session in an effort to fight crime and “Make Memphis Matter.”
In a letter to his colleagues in the Tennessee State Senate, Taylor detailed 13 pieces of legislation he is sponsoring and asked his colleagues to consider sponsoring the bills as well.
Read the full storyGina Godbehere Jumps into Maricopa County Attorney Primary Race Against Incumbent Rachel Mitchell
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell will face the same challenger in the Republican primary this year as she did in the 2022 special election Gina Godbehere.
Godbehere announced her campaign last week. The Maricopa County Supervisors chose Mitchell in early 2022 to replace the previous county attorney, Alistar Adel, who resigned from office due to health issues. Adel passed away in 2022. Mitchell has accumulated considerable criticism from Republicans for actions such as representing the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) twice, asking for sanctions against Kari Lake’s election attorneys.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor: ‘If We Don’t Get It Turned Around,’ Memphis will Become the ‘Example of a Failed City’
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said Memphis will become the “butt of every joke” and the “example of a failed city” if its bail system and crime crisis are not addressed.
Noting how Detroit was once an example of a “failed city” and a “shell of its former self,” Taylor explained what steps the city has taken to reduce crime and how Memphis should follow its lead.
Read the full storyVictor Davis Hanson Commentary: Do Leftists Now Believe Leftism Doesn’t Work?
It is hard to destroy a naturally beautiful city like San Francisco, with ideal weather and stunning infrastructure inherited from far better earlier generations.
Yet San Francisco continues its much-publicized and self-inflicted doom loop. The productive classes still flee the increasingly crime-ridden city and its self-induced pathologies. The city is eroding not because of the doomsayers and not because of what people say about San Francisco, but because of what San Franciscans have done to San Francisco.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Councilman Jeff Eslick Details How Pro-Palestine Protesters Use Public Comment Periods to Hijack Council Meetings
Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the latest developments and work from the Metro Nashville Council, which convened for the first time in 2024 on Tuesday.
Read the full storyPoll Finds Americans Worried About National Debt
Americans are worried about the national debt, according to the results of a new poll.
Americans have the national debt crisis as one of their top concerns along with war, inflation and crime. Those polled think the overspending has a direct impact on their personal security and also has an impact on the security of the United States, according to a recent study commissioned by Main Street Economics, a nonprofit group designed to educate Americans on the nation’s debt crisis.
Read the full storyOhio’s Concealed Carry Law Resulted in Less Gun Crime Last Year, Study Shows
A study published this week by Center for Justice Research, a partnership between the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Bowling Green State University, revealed gun crime decreased in six of Ohio’s eight largest cities following the implementation of the Constitutional Carry law.
Read the full storyAtlanta Ranks One of the Most Unsafe Cities During the Holidays, Study Finds
A recent study conducted by Vivint, a smart-home security company, shows Atlanta, Georgia as one of the top ten most “unsafe” U.S. cities during the holidays.
Read the full storyCommentary: President Trump’s Plan to Save America’s Cities
With all the devastating news about urban crime, drug overdoses, illegal immigration, rampant homelessness, out-of-control budgets, and educational failures, it is encouraging that President Donald Trump has committed his next administration to a saving America’s cities.
As Just the News reported, “With the nation’s first primary state as a backdrop, former President Donald Trump took aim Saturday at Democrats’ urban strongholds, vowing to both secure and revitalize blue cities weary from years of violence and economic decay.”
Read the full story