Judge recuses self while wrongfully convicted man remains in prison

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Judge Lee Coffee is stepping away from the case of Andrew Hayes, the man wrongfully convicted in a 2007 murder.

Coffee recused himself Friday from the proceedings, which have been delayed months.

Judge Coffee delayed the decision on whether to release Hayes from jail in August, following two days of court proceedings.

That August decision happened after five postponements, including a June delay caused by courthouse flooding.

Andrew Hayes was wrongly convicted of the 2007 murder of 55-year-old Danny Harris in a Cordova apartment.

Hayes is still behind bars instead of at home with family despite an announcement in January from Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy stating Hayes was innocent.

Tammy Hayes died days after she was extradited from Oklahoma to Tennessee to face charges in Harris’ murder.

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