What trials are happening in Shelby County courtrooms?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The pace of criminal trials in Shelby County has been picking up. As of August 19, more than 40 cases had gone to trial at 201 Poplar this year. That's more than Shelby County saw in the previous 14 months. But, it's still far fewer than before the pandemic.

Court records show that there were eight trials on the docket for the week of August 19. FOX13 Investigates confirmed that jury selection began Monday for the trial of Joshua Dotson. Dotson was charged with four counts of first-degree murder in a case from 2020 in which both his girlfriend and unborn child were killed. That trial is happening in the courtroom of Judge Carlyn Addison. According to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, Dotson's would be the 10th trial to take place in Addison's court this year.

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The DA's office said there were 41 trials from January to July, with 11 of them happening in May. Three weeks into August, one trial had been completed.

FOX13 Investigates confirmed that trials will be happening in Division 3, Judge James Jones' courtroom for a first-degree murder case, and another, related to a 2017 rape, was transferred to Judge Chris Craft's courtroom. The suspect in that 2017 rape was indicted in 2022.

According to court records, there is also a trial scheduled in the courtroom of Judge Carolyn Blackett. That case is related to an aggravated assault and burglary.

In all, four trials are confirmed to be happening in Shelby County courtrooms during the third week of August. One trial scheduled for the week, involving the alleged murder and abuse of a child by family, got pushed back until next spring.