2021 Oct 18. Last week Propublica released a detailed narrative in the sad and outrageous events that occurred in Murfreesboro Tennessee related to the detention of juveniles. Here are the key contacts and details. The link to the article is below.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TENNESSEE IN REVIEW: Juvenile Delinquency Racket

Profiled by AE Holubar & Lauren Loiacono for Connie Reguli 10/17/21

JUVENILE COURT CASE RATES IN TENNESSEE (2014)

State average: 5%

Rutherford County: 48%

2016: Rutherford County jailed 986 children for a total of 7,932 days

RUTHERFORD COUNTY CONTACTS

Mayor: Bill Ketron

Senator: Jeff Yarbro

Reps: John Clemmons, Gloria Johnson, Heidi Campbell

RACKETEERS

Juvenile Court Judge: Donna Scott Davenport

Murfreesboro Police Department: Chrystal Templeton (retired)

Judicial Commissioners: Amy Anderson, Sherry Hamlett

Head of Detention Center: Lynn Duke

MEDIA & NOTABLES

MTSU Spokesperson: Sydney McPhee

Olive Branch Church: Vincent Windrow

Nashville Public Radio: Merbah Knight

NAACP Legal Defense: Sherrilyn Ifill

Propublica Reporter: Ken Armstrong / ken.armstrong@propublica.org

April 15, 2016: Hobgood Elementary School

PRINCIPAL: Tammy Garrett

CHARGE: “criminal responsibility for conduct of another”

PETITIONS FILED: 10 claiming each child “encouraged and caused” two other juveniles to commit assault / all signed by Officer Templeton

ARRESTED: 11 total, 1 by accident

• GIRLS: 6th grader, Two 4th graders (one diabetic “EJ”), 3rd grader

ARRESTING OFFICERS: Chris Williams – Called a sergeant, a lieutenant, and a major to intervene but no one would (each to receive reprimands)

Albert Miles III – handcuffed and arrested 8 year-old girl arrested by accident

Jeff Carroll – Ordered the principal to get students; handcuffed 6th grader “CC”

INCARCERATED: 4 boys including Jacorious Brinkley (arrested at home with twin sister at 12 years old)

LAWSUITS

All 11 children arrested April 2016 sued in federal court for combined total of $397,500

CLASS ACTION: illegally arresting and jailing children

PLAINTIFFS: EJ, arrested at Hobgood in 4th grade – unlawful arrest

ATTORNEY: Mark Downton

DEFENDANTS: City of Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, various police officers

SETTLEMENT: up to $11 million in June 2021 (~$1k for individuals claiming wrongful arrest, up to $5k for wrongful detention)

2nd CLASS ACTION: Same lawyers represent Quinterrius Frazier, 15 w/developmental disabilities, in federal court

RULING: Rutherford County permanently banned from punishing by solitary confinement

SOURCES

https://www.propublica.org/article/black-children-were-jailed-for-a-crime-that-doesnt-exist

https://www.propublica.org/article/outrage-grows-over-jailing-of-children-as-tennessee-university-cuts-ties-with-judge-involved?token=2ivZCyi-F25Tx_k7j8aywTkbU3pkF5Rs

https://www.wkrn.com/news/mtsu-cuts-ties-with-rutherford-county-juvenile-judge/