Criminal court judge removed from cases amid allegations of bias
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A Shelby County Criminal Court judge is removed from more than two dozen court cases after allegations of having a personal bias against a public defense attorney.
A motion filed on May 20 to disqualify Judge Shelia Renfroe, who oversees the Shelby County Mental Health Court Division 9, was heard Friday in Judge Christopher Craft’s Courtroom.
A group of public defenders filed the petition to defend Assistant Public Defender Melody Carlisle, who alleges that over the past year Judge Renfroe created a hostile work environment, inhibited fair representation of her clients, and undermined the integrity of the judicial process.
Carlisle listed multiple witnesses and examples in the petition, citing an incident in 2023 in which Judge Renfroe allegedly suggested Carlisle would “Ride the Bench,” meaning placed in custody, if she did not leave her courtroom for the day.
According to the motion, Carlisle attached emails sent on March 8 from Renfroe to the Chief of the Shelby County public defenders Phyllis Aluko, alleging that Carlisle’s court conduct was loud, unruly, and also calling her imbalanced and a danger to the community.
Both parties have requested to no longer work with each other. However, Judge Craft ruled in the favor of public defender Carlisle on Friday, recusing Renfroe from 28 of Carlisle’s current cases stating that Renfroe took actions that were “clearly indicative of personal animosity” and was in violation of law for not rescuing herself in a timely matter from when the motion was filed.
According to the petition, Judge Renfroe is allowed to oversee Carlisle’s future cases.
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