Assistant United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. Appointed as Interim United States Attorney of the Western District of Tennessee

MEMPHIS, TN – Assistant United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. was appointed as the Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee by the United States Attorney General on March 28, 2025.

Mr. Murphy began his career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Memphis office in 1989. He was appointed as the Acting U.S. Attorney by the District Court and served in that position from 2021-2023. He was named as First Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2018 and served in that role until his appointment as Acting U.S. Attorney. In 2011, Mr. Murphy served as Criminal Chief, where he supervised Assistant U.S. Attorneys who investigated and prosecuted criminal cases. He also served three years as Deputy Chief of the office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. Prior to becoming Deputy Chief, Mr. Murphy served as a line Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the criminal division and drug task force unit.

During his career with the Department of Justice, Mr. Murphy has tried more than 125 felony cases to verdict in the U.S. District Court. These cases included prosecutions of health care professionals for illegally distributing controlled substances; mail and wire fraud cases; and theft cases involving pension funds and interstate shipments. Mr. Murphy has also represented the government in more than 200 cases litigated before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and argued numerous appeals before the court.

Mr. Murphy is married and has two adult children. He is a native Memphian, a graduate of Lambuth College and the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis and is very active in community and legal affairs.

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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.