Judge Lee Coffee grants the recusal request but says there is no prejudice on his court
Lee V. CoffeeShelby County Criminal Court judge, ruling from the bench on the recusal request
Judge Lee V. Coffee explains his recusal from Andrew Hayes's wrongful conviction case, in an Action News 5 report, Nov. 6, 2026.
Excerpt from 0:20 to 1:24 of the Action News 5 report. Taken from the video on the Action News 5 article page cited for this source. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: WMC Action News 5. Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Full article)
Granting the request that he step aside from Andrew Hayes's case, Judge Lee Coffee said he was doing so to avoid any inference of impropriety, denied any prejudice, and said he could have denied the request without a hearing.
Responding to
At the trial-court level in Andrew Hayes's post-conviction case, the district attorney's office, not the Tennessee attorney general's office, is the proper party to represent the state.
“Because we have to avoid even an inference of impropriety. There's no subjective prejudice on this court at all. In fact, I could have denied this request without even giving you a hearing.”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Judge Lee Coffee steps aside from Andrew Hayes's wrongful-conviction case, denying bias; DA Steve Mulroy disputes his remarks on the prosecutor's role
Andrew Hayes has been in prison since 2010 for the 2007 killing of Danny Harris in Memphis. In January 2026, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said his office's Justice Review Unit, working with the Tennessee Innocence Project, had concluded that Hayes was wrongfully convicted and that the office would not oppose his petition to vacate the conviction. At a hearing in August, Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee said the state was not represented and that the attorney general's office should have been present, and he said the Justice Review Unit should not have authority to ask the court to overturn the conviction. In September, Hayes's lawyers asked Coffee to step aside, saying those statements showed bias, and the district attorney's office agreed in a September 17 filing. On November 6, Coffee granted the request while denying any prejudice, and the case went back to the court clerk for assignment to a new judge.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
WMC Action News 5 report of November 6, 2026 on Judge Lee Coffee's recusal from Andrew Hayes's wrongful-conviction case, quoting Coffee in court and District Attorney Steve Mulroy.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Reporting
About this source
Commercial Appeal report of November 6, 2026, carried in full on Yahoo News, on Coffee's recusal. It describes Coffee's statements at the August hearing, the recusal motion by Hayes's lawyers, the district attorney's September 17 filing, and comments from Mulroy.
Before the quotation
Coffee told Hayes and his lawyers from the Tennessee Innocence Project in court on November 6, 2026, that he was going to grant the petition asking him to step aside.
After the quotation
Coffee told Hayes that all the request had done was delay his case. The Commercial Appeal reported that Coffee said the motion was not made in good faith.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Judge Lee Coffee's handling of Andrew Hayes's petition to vacate his conviction, including his remarks at the August 2026 hearing on the district attorney's role, which Hayes's lawyers cited as evidence of bias. Coffee rejects the claim that he was biased while agreeing to step aside, which denies the allegation.
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More from this case
Read the full caseDA Steve Mulroy says he disagrees with the court's remarks and that it is proper for prosecutors to agree with the defense
“We respectfully disagree with the Court's remarks. It's entirely appropriate for the prosecution to agree with the defense when the prosecution is convinced that the facts and the law justify that position. In fact, it would be unethical for a prosecutor to do otherwise.”Read statement
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- Judge Lee Coffee grants the recusal request but says there is no prejudice on his court
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The Dispute Index. "Judge Lee Coffee grants the recusal request but says there is no prejudice on his court". First published: 2026-11-12. Last updated: 2026-11-12. https://disputeindex.com/events/8637-granting-the-request-that-he-step-aside-from