Shelby County’s district attorney is asserting his right to sue Tennessee over two new laws he says target his office and violate the state constitution.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy filed a response after state Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sought to dismiss Mulroy’s lawsuit in Shelby County Chancery Court.
“This case is about preserving the independence of an office that answers to the voters of Shelby County,” Mulroy said in a statement. “We believe these laws are unconstitutional, and we are asking the courts to review them on the merits. The people of Shelby County deserve to have those questions fully considered.”
The district attorney said state law and previous court decisions support his ability to file the challenge.
Mulroy claims two laws passed this year illegally interfere with his office in connection with cases stemming from the Memphis Safe Task Force, a combination of local, state and federal law enforcement authorities ordered by President Donald Trump and Gov. Bill Lee.