State Sen. Brent Taylor (R-TN) today announced on KWAM that he has requested the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct and the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility to investigate “illegal” restorative justice schemes carried out by Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan and the Shelby County District Attorney’s office.
Taylor says the actions of the judge and the District Attorney’s office resulted in the unlawful reduction in the sentence of a man serving a 162-year prison term and the commutation, and potential release, of a death row inmate.
“I am asking the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct to review the actions of Judge Paula Skahan regarding her apparent advocacy of a criminal defendant and her personal bias concerning previous judicial officials,” Taylor told KWAM.
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Taylor added that Skahan’s actions call into question the impartial nature of our judicial system.
“It appears Judge Skahan used the powers of her office to get a man released from prison knowing she had no such power,” Taylor said.
He termed the judge’s actions an “abuse of power” and said the judge ignored the Tennessee Constitution.
“Our community is facing a violent crime crisis that demands greater scrutiny of our criminal justice system, and those who serve in it, to protect law-abiding Memphians,” Taylor told KWAM. “As senator, it’s my obligation to ensure judges and the district attorney perform their duties as required under the law and the Tennessee Constitution. There is nothing more important to the public trust than holding our elected officials accountable to Tennesseans.”
Listen to the full interview:
