Judge rejects commissioner’s motion to dismiss bribery charge
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker rejected a request by Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. to dismiss his bribery charge.
Ford was placed on paid leave this year following a seven-count federal indictment. He filed a motion to appeal his charge for bribery, alleging the charge was “unconstitutionally vague” and “duplicitous.”
The judge disagrees that the charge is unconstitutionally vague. According to court documents, the ruling was sufficient because it “first, contains the elements of the offense charged and fairly informs a defendant of the charge against which he must defend, and, second, enables him to plead an acquittal or conviction in bar of future prosecutions for the same offense.”
However, the judge agreed that the charge is duplicitous because, “it alleges multiple quid pro quo agreements between Defendant and three individuals and nonprofits, each of which could constitute a violation.”
Rather than dismiss the charge, the court has ruled that prosecutors must either:
- Elect a single agreement to advance as a violation
- Divide the charge into multiple counts, each consisting of a single potential violation
- Amend the charge to clarify that each agreement is an alternative basis for a single violation
- Consent to a special unanimity instruction to clarify to the jury the duplicity in the count and ensure that it reaches a unanimous verdict.
Ford is also charged with six counts of attempting to evade taxes. His trial date is set for Jan. 20, 2026.
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