Judge weighs jury instructions in trial of 3 former Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death

A judge considered arguments Tuesday related to dozens of pages of instructions that will be given to jurors in the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with violating Tyre Nichols’ civil rights in a beating that proved fatal following a 2023 traffic stop.

A judge considered arguments Tuesday related to dozens of pages of instructions that will be given to jurors in the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with violating Tyre Nichols’ civil rights in a beating that proved fatal following a 2023 traffic stop. Closing arguments had been expected in the case but did not take place as U.S. District Judge Mark Norris spent hours in chambers working to finalize the lengthy, complicated instructions that jurors will receive before they begin deliberating. Norris heard from lawyers in morning and afternoon sessions about issues related to the instructions. Prosecutor Forrest Christian said in the afternoon meeting that jurors have to find that bodily injury occurred to Nichols if they are to find the officers guilty of excessive force. The jury spent essentially a full day in a separate room. Norris said the jury was “wasting back there.” After prosecutors rested their case Thursday, defense attorneys asked for acquittals, arguing that prosecutors had failed to present enough evidence. Norris denied those motions Tuesday. Attorneys for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith rested their cases Monday after each had called experts during previous days of testimony in an attempt to combat prosecutors’ arguments that the officers used excessive force against Nichols, didn’t intervene, and failed to tell their supervisors and medical personnel about the extent of the beating.