TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 23, 2026

Chief U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman of the Western District of Tennessee ruled last week that she will not split the civil case stemming from Tyré Nichols’ death into two trials, the Commercial Appeal reports. Lipman said separating the claims could prejudice the City of Memphis because ongoing stays in related criminal cases have limited discovery involving the individual officers. Attorneys for Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, had sought to bifurcate the case in an effort to speed it to trial, arguing it could otherwise be delayed until 2028 or 2029 due to stays on the criminally charged officers. City attorneys opposed the request, saying it would hinder their ability to defend against liability claims. Lipman denied the motion but granted a request from Wells’ attorneys to hold a status conference within a week of the ruling, which was set for today.