Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racially-Motivated Killing

WASHINGTON– The Justice Department announced today that Dale Mardis, 57, was sentenced today to life in prison, with no possibility of parole, for the racially-motivated killing of Shelby County, Tenn., Code Enforcement Officer Mickey Wright. Mardis was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald.

Mardis pleaded guilty on March 21, 2011, to the racially-motivated killing of Officer Wright. Last week, federal prosecutors and investigators discovered that Mardis murdered another man, Henry Ackerman, in the summer of 1998. They confronted Mardis with the new information on July 1, 2011, and Mardis confessed to the second murder.

Judge Donald imposed the life sentence after Mardis dropped his objections to the sentencing recommendation and admitted that his killing of Wright was first-degree murder. In addition to agreeing to the federal life sentence, Mardis also agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder for the murder of Ackerman in Shelby County Criminal Court, and to be sentenced to life for that killing as well.

Mardis murdered Mickey Wright on April 17, 2001, and was federally indicted for the killing in January 2008 after pleading no contest to a state court murder charge.

“This defendant committed a heinous act of hate-filled violence, and today's life sentence sends an unmistakable message that such conduct will not be tolerated in our society,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “I am hopeful that this sentence will bring some sense of justice for Mickey Wright's loved ones.”

“Although nothing can ever undo their tragic loss, Mickey Wright’s family can take some comfort that Dale Mardis will never again set foot outside of a prison and never again breathe free air,” said U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III. “This life sentence marks an important day for the Wright family and for all the people of Memphis. Dale Mardis’s fate proves to the community that hate-crime murders remain a top priority of my office and of the whole federal government.”

“Brutal hate crimes like the one committed by Dale Mardis tear at the fabric of our society, and the Memphis Office of the FBI, through its Civil Rights Task Force, will aggressively pursue those who commit such crimes, aiding victims and helping to heal communities in the process,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis FBI Field Office Amy Hess.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department. FBI Special Agent Tracey Harris and former Shelby County Detective Sergeant Joe T. Everson were the lead investigators on the case. The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen C. Parker, head of the Civil Rights Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office; and Jonathan T. Skrmetti, who began work on the case as a Trial Attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and who is now an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis.

15 Gang Members Convicted on Conspiracy, Weapons Possession, Firearms Trafficking Charges Case Follows Recent Convictions of 137th Street Crew and East Harlem Narcotics Trafficking Organization

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the results of the investigation and prosecution of one of Central Harlem’s most destructive criminal street gangs, referred to as “ONE TWENTY-NINE” or “GOODFELLAS/THE NEW DONS,” which terrorized the neighborhood surrounding West 129th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. Thirteen members of the gang have previously pleaded guilty to importing, possessing, and using firearms over the course of the conspiracy.

The Myth, The Matrix, and The Malpractice: Unpacking the Sophia Stewart Saga

The internet loves a good underdog story, especially one where a lone creator battles Hollywood giants. Few tales have captivated online forums and social media quite like that of Sophia Stewart, the woman who famously sued the creators of The Matrix and The Terminator, claiming they stole her work, "The Third Eye." Her story is a complex tapestry woven with claims of stolen genius, judicial conflicts, and attorney negligence. Let's untangle the legal facts from the compelling narrative and examine the heart of her claims. The Core Allegation: "The Third Eye" and the Blockbusters Sophia Stewart alleged that her copyrighted manuscript, "The Third Eye," conceived in 1981 and finalized in 1983, was the blueprint for two of the most iconic sci-fi franchises: The Terminator (first film 1984) and The Matrix (first film 1999). From her perspective, the similarities were undeniable. Stewart’s supporters often point to broad, impactful themes and ev...

The U-Turn of Candace Owens: From Liberal Critic to Conservative Firebrand

Candace Owens’s career has been defined by one of the most dramatic and controversial political transformations in modern media. In less than a decade, she transitioned from a liberal critic of the Republican Party to a leading voice of the American conservative movement, only to have her time at the top of established conservative media end over a final, divisive shift in rhetoric. Here is a look at the journey that defined her political evolution, culminating in her emergence as a powerful, independent media force. Phase 1: The Anti-Trump Democrat (Pre-2017) Before her political transformation, Candace Owens was known for holding typical liberal views and actively criticizing the Republican Party and its most controversial new figure. Initial Stance: Owens was an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, reportedly publishing articles mocking him and the "bat-s**t crazy antics of the Republican Tea Party." The Turning Point: This initial phase ended following a failed a...

New York Paralegal Blog

Search This Blog