MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Local pastor and activist Devante Hill made his first court appearance Thursday morning after he was arrested and charged with violating his probation in a 2016 case.
His attorney believes this was all a mistake and says health issues were involved.
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman said Hill pleaded guilty more than a year ago to charges stemming from an arrest back in 2016 when police say he filed a false police report. Hagerman said the court tried to give Hill the opportunity to clear his record by completing diversion.
But he said Hill didn’t keep in contact with his probation officer, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Arthur Horne, Hill’s attorney, said Hill “had a hot drug screen” and failed to report. Horne said the state claims Hill failed to report for nearly two months, but he sais Hill has a reason why.
“There were some health issues that I’m not at liberty to talk about,” Horne said
When WREG last spoke to Hill in March, he told us he wasn’t aware of the warrant and it was probably a paperwork issue. Horne agrees there may have been some miscommunication.
“The misunderstanding part was, he was ordered to do an assessment,” Horne said. “So during that same period of time, he did an assessment with a different branch of that office.”
The warrant was issued on March 4, just weeks before he was on a panel to interview the candidates for the next Memphis police director.
The city sent a statement saying they were aware of his warrant but, saying, “his qualifications as a community activist is why he was asked to serve on the panel.”
Hill is known for organizing protests in 2020, and was included in several closed-door conversations with Mayor Jim Strickland and Police Director Michael Rallings in efforts to “reimagine policing.”
Hill will be back in court April 22 where he will have to provide documentation proving his claims as to why he could not report to the court. He has been released on his own recognizance.
