A Memphis-area senator is spearheading legislation that would require the Shelby County district attorney to notify multiple state and federal officials any time a felony case arising from a Memphis Safe Task Force arrest leads to a plea agreement, lowered charge or dismissal.
Sen. Brent Taylor — a Republican representing Germantown, Lakeland, Collierville and part of East Memphis — called the bill the “Memphis Safe Task Force Accountability Act.” The act does not contain accountability provisions for the task force itself, but solely focuses on the district attorney’s handling of the hundreds of cases that result from the multi-agency law enforcement force launched in September by President Donald Trump.
The act would apply to district attorneys general of any judicial district in which the Memphis Safe Task Force or Operation Viper, an FBI mission in Memphis, are operating — ostensibly limiting the scope to Shelby County.
A district attorney general is elected by the public to represent the government in criminal cases, including reviewing evidence, filing charges and prosecuting people accused of crime. District Attorney General Steven Mulroy has served Shelby County in the role since 2022.