State Court Overturns Class-Action Lawsuit Rulings Against City of Memphis for Rape Kit Backlog

In a recent development, a Tennessee appeals court has made a decision regarding the long-standing lawsuit concerning the rape kit backlog in Memphis. This lawsuit, which was a class-action suit, has been in the legal system for quite some time due to the failure of Memphis Police Department officials to test rape kits, resulting in a backlog of over 12,000 untested kits.

City attorneys decided to appeal the initial ruling by Circuit Court Judge Gina Higgins back in March 2023. And now, the appeals court has overturned the previous decisions in the case, including the allowance for victims to bypass the statute of limitations when filing the suit.

This news comes after ongoing efforts by victims to seek justice and accountability in the face of this backlog issue. Stay tuned for further updates as the situation continues to evolve.

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Thank you for following along with us for this important update on the rape kit backlog lawsuit in Memphis. Stay tuned for more news from Action News 5.