News Summary
The Tennessee Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from Janet Doe, the last plaintiff in a lawsuit against Memphis for its backlog of untested sexual assault kits. This ruling confirms the city’s liability and follows a 2014 class action lawsuit initiated by three women. The case highlights systemic failures in handling rape kits, drawing public attention after a high-profile murder linked to such backlog. While progress has been made in processing turnaround times, concerns over the backlog and victims’ justice persist.
Memphis – The Tennessee Supreme Court has denied an application from Janet Doe, the last remaining plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against the city of Memphis concerning the overwhelming backlog of untested sexual assault kits. This decision upholds prior appellate court rulings that prevent further appeals and establishes the city’s liability in this longstanding crisis involving the handling of rape kits.
The lawsuit was initiated in 2014 by three women, who highlighted the city’s failure to adequately process sexual assault kits. Following the appeals, only Doe’s case has persisted as the others were removed from the litigation. With the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, all previously issued appellate court decisions remain intact, barring any further legal maneuvering.
Key to the ongoing case is a reversal of a ruling from the Shelby County Circuit Court. This earlier decision had allowed the plaintiffs to move forward with the lawsuit, despite an expiration period known as the statute of limitations, and allowed for the possibility of class action. However, those path options have now been extinguished with the Supreme Court’s denial.
Memphis has been grappling with a chronic backlog of over 12,000 untested rape kits, a situation exacerbated by systemic failures in processing these crucial pieces of evidence. Attorney Gary Smith, representing Janet Doe, has indicated plans to return the matter to trial court in an effort to resume the litigation process.
The matter of the backlog came into sharper focus in recent months, particularly with the high-profile case involving murder victim Eliza Fletcher. Fletcher’s murder reignited public scrutiny over the handling of untested rape kits as it was revealed that her alleged killer, Cleotha Abston Henderson, was connected to a rape case from 2021 that had not been processed until his DNA was matched after Fletcher’s death. The alarming circumstances surrounding this case have brought added pressure on local officials to address the backlog.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has been attempting to manage the crisis, reporting a decrease in processing turnaround times from 45 weeks to approximately 10 weeks. To expedite processing, the TBI has outsourced some of the testing work to a private lab in Florida, sending 908 kits to be tested in recent months. Additionally, there has been progress in staffing, with 47 of the 50 forensic analyst positions at the TBI currently filled, allowing for a more efficient processing of evidence.
Despite these efforts, the backlog situation remains a major concern within the community. The state’s efforts have been partly prompted by the problematic outcome of cases where delays in processing kits have potentially allowed suspects to evade justice. Presently, Abston has been sentenced to serve 80 years in prison stemming from the 2021 rape case connected to Fletcher’s death and faces trial for her murder, which could lead to the death penalty if convicted.
As this ongoing legal battle unfolds, the implications for how Memphis handles sexual assault cases and utilizes rape kit evidence remain under intense scrutiny. The recent ruling by the Tennessee Supreme Court reinforces the critical need for continued reforms in the system, addressing not only the backlog but also ensuring that victims receive the justice they deserve.
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Additional Resources
- WREG: Tennessee Supreme Court Denies Hearing in Memphis Rape Kit Case
- Local Memphis: Tennessee Supreme Court Declines to Hear Rape Kit Backlog Lawsuit
- Tennessee Lookout: TBI Makes Progress in Reducing Rape Kit Backlog
- Action News 5: Rape Kit Backlog Shortens with Outsourced Testing
- Commercial Appeal: Memphis Rape Kit Backlog Case Dismissed
- Wikipedia: Rape kit
- Google Search: rape kit backlog
