On Thursday, July 3, 2025, ABC24 reported that Federal Judge Mark Norris, who oversaw the trial of five former Memphis police officers charged with the death of Tyré Nichols, has been reassigned from two additional cases. Judge Norris recused himself from the Nichols case on June 13, 2025, just days before the scheduled sentencing for two of the officers involved in the incident.
The cases of Antonio Caldwell and Calvin Watkins, previously assigned to Judge Norris, have now been transferred to Judge Samuel H. Mays and Judge Thomas L. Parker, respectively. The reasons for this reassignment have not been disclosed.
In addition to stepping down from the criminal trial, Judge Norris also removed himself from a civil lawsuit filed by Nichols’ mother, Row’Vaughn Wells, against the City of Memphis. Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman has since been appointed to take over both the criminal and civil proceedings related to Nichols’ death.
Following Judge Norris’s withdrawal, attorneys for one of the former officers, Justin Smith, requested information regarding the judge. Moreover, legal representatives for two of the five officers, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley, have filed a motion seeking a new trial.
Source: ABC24
