District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman, who assumed the case in June, granted retrial for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith.
A federal judge on Thursday ordered a new trial for three former Memphis police officers convicted in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, adding another twist to a complex legal saga that has played out in both federal and state courts.
U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman granted the retrial for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who were found guilty in October 2024 of obstruction of justice through witness tampering in connection with Nichols’ January 2023 death. Defense attorneys argued the judge who presided over their original trial was biased, and Lipman, who took over the case in June, agreed to vacate the federal convictions.
