MEMPHIS, July 23, 2026 - Suspended Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer will stand trial on federal public corruption charges beginning January 11, 2027.
The date was set at a hearing in late June. Action News 5 reported the trial is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and is expected to run four days. WREG reported that prosecutors described thousands of documents heading into discovery and estimated a three to four day trial, while Sawyer's attorney, John Keith Perry, expects it to take longer. WREG also reported the date is subject to change.
An indictment is a formal accusation, not evidence of guilt. Sawyer has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
What she is charged with
A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment on June 15, 2026. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee, the counts are conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises.
Prosecutors allege that between August 29, 2024, the day Sawyer was sworn in, and June 22, 2025, she converted $44,607.35 in public funds to her own use using procurement cards issued to other county employees, a county travel card, and travel advances. The indictment alleges the spending included alcohol, food ordered through delivery services, and charges at bars, hotels, restaurants, and local fundraisers, and that many transactions fell on weekends or holidays when the clerk's office was closed.
If convicted on all counts, the maximum exposure is 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. William Crow is prosecuting.
Two clocks, running at different speeds
Sawyer has not held the job since June 17, when General Sessions Court judges voted to suspend her. WREG, citing the court order, reported the suspension runs 60 days. Several outlets initially reported it as 30 days. Under the terms WREG reported, Sawyer surrendered her badge and keys, lost access to General Sessions areas and to county computer systems, and continues to receive her regular salary and benefits.
A 60-day suspension beginning June 17 would expire in mid-August.
The replacement, however, is not on that schedule. On July 18, WREG reported that Judge Deborah Henderson announced Gerald Thornton had been selected as General Sessions Court Clerk Pro Tempore, with his term beginning August 8. WREG reported that Thornton will serve pending the outcome of Sawyer's case or the end of her term, whichever comes first.
Sawyer was sworn in on August 29, 2024, to a four-year term. Her trial begins in January 2027. If the case runs its course and she is not removed, Thornton's appointment as written could extend well past the trial.
That leaves a question the court has not addressed publicly. The suspension order and the pro tempore appointment appear to run on different clocks. If the suspension expires in mid-August but the stand-in serves until the case concludes, the county has not said whether the suspension is renewed, extended, or superseded, and it has not said what Sawyer's status is if it simply lapses.
There is also a payroll question. Sawyer draws her salary while suspended. Ed Stanton has been filling the role on an interim basis. Thornton starts August 8. For at least part of this period, Shelby County is paying for more than one person to hold one office.
The whistleblower thread
Two former General Sessions Court employees have separately sued Sawyer. Action News 5 reported that Jeffery Walker, the court's former chief administrative officer, filed suit in November 2025, and that his former executive assistant, Keona Bean, filed in April 2026. Both allege retaliation under Tennessee's whistleblower protection law after reporting credit card misuse to county officials. Their attorney, Ralph Gibson, told Action News 5 that his clients' complaints to the Shelby County attorney led to a referral to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Those lawsuits are civil claims and remain unproven.
What we are still asking
What is the annual salary Sawyer continues to draw while suspended, and what is the combined payroll cost of a suspended clerk, an interim clerk, and a clerk pro tempore?
Does the suspension order provide for renewal, and has any renewal been voted?
What happens to Sawyer's status if the suspension lapses before the case concludes?
What controls did Shelby County place on procurement card use in the clerk's office, and what has changed since June 2025?
The 901 Report has requested the suspension order, the pro tempore appointment order, and the clerk's office procurement card policy. We will publish them when we have them.
An indictment is a formal accusation, not evidence of guilt. Tami Sawyer is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
