Jerry Summers

Writer Sophia Saric’s very comprehensive and detailed critique of the use of informants by the Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) in the Sunday, October 20, 2024 issue of our main local newspaper is a disturbing and disturbing touch on reality. CPD and other law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels for endless years.

The accompanying assessment by a local criminal justice professor is legally informative (pun intended) about how the use of paid witnesses or people with potential criminal charges against them is often used to exploit the rights of potential defendants, guilty or innocent.

Efforts to control or monitor the actions of whistleblowers are sometimes inadequate or ignored (read long article starting on page 1).

The facts shown in “A Black Eye for Policing” are shocking but not new and should not negatively impact the positive image of the vast majority of respected male and female police officers at CPD and other agencies. However, the old cliché that “when you confuse money with justice, justice often loses” has some applicability.

During former District Attorney Neil Pinkston’s administration, 11 defendants had their charges dismissed because a confidential informant working with CPD planted evidence in their cases (Chattanoogan.com – Thursday, January 28, 2021.)

Flamboyant Hamilton County Sheriff (1958-1963) and City of Chattanooga Fire and Police Commissioner (1963-1971), James E “Bookie” Turner allegedly had some embarrassing experiences with “The Baron”, who was also a paid informant. citizen who caught crimes, but was in reality a convicted fraudster trying to profit as a paid “informant.”

Fast forward to today, and there are at least two potential federal informants from the Chattanooga area who have already “pleaded responsibility” (the magic federal term for cooperating with government legal authorities to admit crimes and present accurate evidence and/or testimony against others). )

These:

1) A former minor league baseball team executive involved in a Ponzi scheme who pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility in federal court in Hotlanta, is currently serving time in a minimum security prison, but may be eligible for further sentence reductions to provide additional sentencing for the government to impose charges on others. “substantial new assistance” to help further reduce sentences by prosecuting him on corruption or other charges; And

2) A former state legislator who pleaded guilty to “honest services fraud” (sounds a contradiction) in March 2022 in Federal Court in Nashville, whose sentencing hearing had been passed several times over whether he would testify at the pending trial of others in 2025.

(Whether any of the two individuals above, or others, collaborated to provide information that could lead to further change is beyond the scope of this article. However, the excellent front-page Market article raises many issues emerging in public and private. The rapid growth of the Gig City economy , abundant free funds and government funds, relevant individuals in positions of significant influence, and the potential for elements of profit and greed to exist in local communities may possibly justify investigations of individuals or businesses by local, state, and federal law enforcement, etc.)

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If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers’ articles or have suggestions or ideas for future Chattanooga area historical work, please contact him at: [email protected])