Memphis City Hall protesters cleared out
MEMPHIS -- Police on Wednesday arrested protesters who had been camping out in front of Memphis City Hall for weeks to demand police changes.
Authorities told protesters who had been camping there since mid-June that the plaza in front of the building would be cleared Wednesday morning to make way for repairs to the roof and exterior marble panels.
Some protesters who remained in the area were taken away by officers. It was not immediately clear how many protesters were arrested.
The arrests happened one day after the city announced a new website that will allow the public to file online complaints against police officers as part of changes enacted after the death of George Floyd and ongoing protests against police brutality.
Activists and community leaders demanded more transparency from the city and the department during days of protests stemming from Floyd's death in Minneapolis in May at the hands of police.
Memphis also recently banned no-knock search warrants and modified a policy to order officers to "take reasonable action to intervene" if dangerous or criminal conduct, or abuse of a subject, is observed.
Immigration judges' suit claims muzzling
A group of U.S. immigration judges said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that they are being muzzled by the Trump administration, marking the latest confrontation between the judges and the federal government.
Under previous administration, immigration judges were allowed to speak in their personal capacities on issues relating to immigration if they made clear that they were not speaking on behalf of the U.S. Justice Department or the court system, said Judge A. Ashley Tabaddor, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, which represents about 460 federal immigration judges.
But under the Trump administration, they have been prohibited from speaking publicly and fear they will lose their jobs if they do so, she said, adding that this prevents the judges from educating the public about the country's immigration courts.
Kathryn Mattingly, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the agency under the Justice Department that runs the courts, said in an email that the department does not comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit seeks to block the agency's policy preventing judges from speaking out publicly on immigration issues or the court system.
Training-flight crash kills jet pilot in S.C.
SUMTER, S.C. -- A military pilot has died in the crash of a fighter jet during a training mission at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
Col. Larry Sullivan, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing, confirmed the pilot's death early Wednesday. He called the crash an "aircraft mishap."
The crash happened on the military base around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, news outlets reported.
Base officials said the pilot was performing a routine training mission in a F-16CM Fighting Falcon when the jet crashed. The pilot was the only person on board.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The name of the pilot wasn't immediately released, pending notification of next of kin.
City to stop prosecuting small pot cases
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk announced on Wednesday that his office will no longer prosecute people for possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana.
"Marijuana charges do little to promote public health, and even less to promote public safety," Funk's office said in a statement explaining the decision.
The new policy will benefit people who would otherwise have to deal with criminal charges and possible jail time with corresponding negative consequences to their employment and housing. Charges for minor marijuana offenses disproportionately affect members of minority groups, the statement said, citing demographic statistics.
Under Tennessee law, possession of a half-ounce of marijuana or less is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
The change also is expected to decrease court and jail costs. Funk's office said the resources going toward prosecuting minor marijuana offenses "must be devoted to supporting victims and prosecuting violent crime."
Funk's decision was criticized by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, who said Wednesday that he thinks all laws must be enforced.
"If local officials do not agree with or want to change our laws, they should be changed and not circumvented by those who are tasked with enforcing them," Sexton said in his statement.
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