On this page
Contact Major Cases Team
We’re here Monday – Friday
Monday – Friday · 8:00am – 4:30pm
Main Office
201 Poplar Ave, Suite 2-01
Memphis, TN 38103
Other services
Related pages
- Note
If your family member has been charged with first-degree murder, call (901) 222-2800. A member of our Major Cases Team will be in contact as quickly as possible.
The Major Cases Team handles the most serious charges in our system — first-degree murder and capital cases. Every client on the Major Cases Team is represented by a dedicated team of attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists. No SCPD client faces a murder charge alone.
What We Do
When a client is charged with first-degree murder, the stakes are absolute. The interdisciplinary Major Cases Team is made up of experienced attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists who work together from the moment of assignment through the end of the case, including any capital sentencing proceeding, to achieve favorable outcomes for our clients.
Capital Defense
Tennessee allows the death penalty in first-degree murder cases with aggravating circumstances. When the state seeks capital punishment, our team mounts a full capital defense by conducting an exhaustive mitigation investigation, retaining expert witnesses, and fighting for our client in pretrial litigation, at trial, and on appeal. We believe no client should face the most severe penalty the State can inflict without a team that has left nothing on the table.
Mitigation
Mitigation is the process of presenting the full human story of a client’s life to a jury or judge at sentencing. Our mitigation specialists are trained investigators who conduct thorough social history investigations and work with expert witnesses to tell our client’s story in court. Understanding where our clients are coming from – their background, their circumstances, their relationships, and their behavioral or mental health history – allows us to obtain the best possible outcomes for our clients, and, in capital cases, can be the difference between life and death.
A Full Team on Every Case
Every Major Cases Team client has a lead attorney, co-counsel, a dedicated investigator, a mitigation specialist, and a litigation assistant. Complex cases may involve additional expert witnesses in digital forensics, DNA, ballistics, crime scene reconstruction, pathology, or other specialized fields. We do not cut corners on these cases.
Common Questions
How quickly will my family member have an attorney?
Our office is notified of all first-degree murder charges at arraignment. A Major Cases Team attorney will either meet a new client in court at arraignment or make contact within hours of appointment.
Will the same attorney handle the whole case?
Yes. Your attorney stays with your case through resolution — whether by dismissal, plea, or trial.
What if I think something went wrong at trial?
We work with our Appellate Team to review trial records and litigate appeals.
Find your attorney
Search the directory for direct contact information for every attorney in this division.