Tennessee judge temporarily blocks National Guard deployment to Memphis

Yes, but: While Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal sided with a coalition of Democratic state and local officials who challenged Lee's actions in a lawsuit, she gave the state five days to appeal, which the Tennessee attorney general's office has indicated it would do.

The big picture: The ruling found that the governor acted beyond his authority when he moved to deploy the National Guard.

• Moskal noted in her order that a governor may take such action "in cases of invasion, disaster, insurrection, riot, attack, or combination to oppose the enforcement of the law by force or violence, or imminent danger thereof, or other grave emergency." But she found this wasn't the case here.

For the record: Among the coalition that brought the suit is: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, Memphis City Councilmember JB Smiley, Jr., State Reps. G.A. Hardaway and Gabby Salinas, and State Sen. Jeff Yarbro.

• The Trump administration is not named in the suit.

What they're saying: "President Trump's attempt to militarize our cities and communities is unlawful," said Democracy Forward, one of the groups representing the coalition of local and state leaders in the suit, in a statement posted to its social accounts.

The other side: White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a Monday statement that Lee had determined that the National Guard t deployment was necessary to help make Memphis safe again.

• "The Memphis Task force has already removed countless dangerous criminals off the streets," she said in the email.
• "This state court judge fundamentally misunderstood the law," added Jackson, who criticized the judge.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in an emailed statement Monday: "This case presents important legal questions that have ramifications for not just the safety of Memphians now but for all Tennesseans for centuries to come. We look forward to further litigating on appeal."

Flashback: Ogles calls for National Guard in Nashville, where violent crime is declining

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.