Long-time Shelby County prosecutor appointed as criminal court judge

Paul Hagerman, a long-time Shelby County prosecutor who was the second-in-command with the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, has been appointed as the judge to oversee Shelby County's newly created criminal court.

The court was created through a state law passed during the previous legislative period. Shelby County once had 10 criminal courts, but was stripped of one after former Judge Melissa Boyd resigned due to a criminal investigation into drug use.

Boyd eventually pleaded guilty.

Hagerman has tackled a number of high-profile cases, including the prosecutions of Sherra Wright and Billy Ray Turner, Cleotha Abston, and multiple defendants accused of murdering Memphis rapper Young Dolph.

Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts

and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: [phone] and [e-mail], and followed on X @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Long-time Shelby County prosecutor appointed as criminal court judge