US EditionAppeals Court Sides with State on Gov. Lee's Memphis Guard Deployment
The court said the plaintiffs lacked standing, clearing the way for the Guard to keep supporting the Memphis Safe Task Force.
- On Tuesday, the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled that the National Guard deployment in Memphis is legal, reversing a lower court's temporary injunction that previously blocked the mission.
- Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and several lawmakers filed the lawsuit on October 17, 2025, arguing that Governor Bill Lee's deployment bypassed legislative oversight and local authority.
- Judge Andy D. Bennett wrote that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to challenge the Governor's authority; individual legislators cannot sue for institutional injuries without Tennessee General Assembly authorization.
- The decision enables the National Guard to continue supporting the Memphis Safe Task Force, a multi-agency initiative launched by President Donald Trump in September 2025 to combat violent crime.
- Although reversing the injunction, the appellate court clarified its conclusion is not that no one has standing, but that these individuals lack it; the case returns to Davidson County Chancery Court.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Greeneville Publishing Company
Court rules against lawmakers in Memphis National Guard suit
(The Center Square) – A group of state and local lawmakers who sued Gov. Bill Lee over the National Guard deployment in Memphis does not have the standing to sue, the Tennessee Court of Appeals said Tuesday.
Appeals court sides with state on Gov. Lee's Memphis Guard deployment
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A state appeals court has ruled that Gov. Bill Lee was acting within his legal authority when he deployed the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis last fall, as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force. The court of appeals ruling came months after Shelby County leaders, including Mayor Lee Harris, sued the [...]
Tennessee Lookout
TN Court of Appeals rules in governor’s favor in National Guard deployment to Memphis
The Tennessee National Guard has been deployed to Memphis since October. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that the seven state and local Democratic officials lacked standing in their case to block Gov. Bill Lee from deploying the state National Guard in Memphis. The ruling dealt a significant setback to efforts to stop the National Guard from operating in Memphis after Lee, a Republican, deployed …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
