Juvenile Court, Sheriff’s Office set for court battle over juvenile facility
Ben Wheeler
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Multiple lawsuits have been filed in a conflict between the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Sheriff Floyd Bonner over the transporting of juveniles to the facility and continuing to operating the Youth Justice and Education Center.
The lawsuits were filed in Shelby County Chancery Court on behalf of Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon by his attorney Robert Spence.
The initial complaint, filed Dec. 23, asks to compel Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Floyd Bonner to continue transporting juveniles to court for proceedings.
The complaint alleges that following asbestos removal from the Juvenile Court building on Adams Avenue, hearings were set to begin again when SCSO officials sent a letter saying they would stop transportation of individuals to Juvenile Court.
“As a result of SCSO’s abrupt discontinuation of its transportation duty for Youth, the Juvenile Court proceedings scheduled for October 14, 2024, experienced significant disruption to not only the detention and delinquency dockets, but also all dockets across youth justice and child welfare matters in Juvenile Court,” the complaint reads.
“SCSO’s refusal to transport Youth to court obstructs Juvenile Court’s ability to fulfill its constitutional and statutory duties, particularly in ensuring the timely adjudication of cases.”
The complaint notes that since 2015, SCSO has received funding from the Shelby County Commission for the operation and management of the Juvenile Court detention center, including the current Fiscal Year.
A response from attorneys for Bonner was filed Dec. 31, which included a counter-petition asking for declaratory judgement.
That response said that a written notice was sent to the court dated Dec. 14, 2023, that SCSO terminated and relinquished authority and control over the youth detention facilities, which was set to take effect Dec. 31, 2024.
“The verbal Management Authorization under which Sheriff Bonner and SCSO managed and operated youth detention facilities for the Juvenile Court is an at will verbal arrangement for the provision of management services which may be terminated by Sheriff Bonner and SCSO or the Juvenile Court at any time without cause under Tennessee law.,” the response reads. “From and after January 1, 2025 Sheriff Bonner and SCSO have no legal right, obligation or duty to manage or operate any youth detention facilities of the Juvenile Court or to have custody of any YJEC Youth.”
Despite this, a Shelby County Chancellor granted an order for things to stay status quo until the arrangement can be argued in court, following a filing in a separate case by Sugarmon asking for a temporary injunction.
Juvenile Court officials sent a statement following the dispute becoming public, saying that the facility remains focused on its duties.
“At this time, the Youth Justice and Education Center (YJEC) will continue to be operated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), and we are working collaboratively to ensure continuity of services for youth,” the statement reads. “We recognize that the future management of YJEC will require careful planning, including the allocation of necessary resources and personnel to ensure its success. Juvenile Court is committed to working with the Sheriff’s Office, alongside other key stakeholders, to develop a strategic plan for the transfer that prioritizes the best interests of youth and our community.
“We will provide further updates as plans are finalized and appreciate the public’s trust and support as we move forward with this process.”
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