Emmitt Martin III changes his plea in federal criminal case against Tyre Nichols

Martin, who pleaded not guilty in September after being charged with violating Nichols' civil rights, will be the second defendant to plead not guilty. Desmond Mills pleaded not guilty on the federal level in November 2023.

The details of the plea are not public, but there is a document that asks the attorneys to “present to the judge the proposed settlement, a summary of the elements of the offense(s) charged, and the statutory penalties.”

Martin, Mills, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were charged with excessive use of force, willful indifference, conspiracy to tamper with witnesses and witness tampering.