By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Election candidates went head-to-head on Thursday evening, April 7, in WLAF’s 2022 Candidate Forum held at the West LaFollette School. Watch the forum HERE on demand.

The WLAF 2022 Candidate Forum made possible by:

Terry’s Pharmacy, Jacksboro Body Shop, Ideal Florist & Gifts, City of La Follette Parks & Recreation Director Johnny Byrge and Staff, Robbins Guttering, Hensley Tire & Service, Wender Furniture, Jacksboro GNC, Litho-Craft Printing & Office Supplies, David Bales Buick-GMC, Southern Sass Boutique, Community Trust Bank, Maynard’s Auto Parts, Grace Rehab, Gamble Motors, The Tiki Hut at Deerfield Marina, Hearthside Bank and Collectables & More.

Candidates for Campbell County Mayor, Campbell County Sheriff along with candidates for Campbell County General Sessions Judge and the Eighth Judicial Criminal Court Judge offices debated various issues of the election.

WLAF’s Jim Freeman and Susan Sharp moderated the event. 

In preparation for the forum, candidates were sent a list of six questions relevant to their races that could be asked during the debate. Each answered the same four questions that were randomly selected for the evening.

Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge:

Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge candidates Thomas J. Tabor, Jr., Zack Walden and Graham E. Wilson debated at WLAF’s candidate forum Thursday evening.

Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge candidates debated first, discussing topics such as back logged dockets, multiple case resets, drug and recovery court retention, repeat criminal offenders, among others.

Thomas J. Tabor, Jr., Zack Walden and Graham E. Wilson are the three candidates competing to replace Judge Shayne Sexton, who is retiring.

All Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge candidates said they would retain and use the recovery court program to help drug offenders. 

Tabor’s stance on the backlog of cases and multiple case resets on the docket is “to try the cases.”

“As a criminal defense attorney, I have been part of that process, and the first thing I would say is let’s try the cases. That’s what the constitution calls for…if we can’t come to an agreement, I don’t think it needs to be reset six or seven  times, let’s try the cases. Our dockets are massively overloaded,” Tabor said. 

By the time the evening’s event concluded before 9:30pm, a crowd of spectators had come through the Brown-Troutman Gym at West La Follette School.

Zack Walden said the criminal court sees more cases and trials than other counties in the district, and this results in multiple case resets. According to Walden, the judge can move things quicker by holding lawyers accountable to deadlines. 

“Criminal court judges can hold lawyers accountable, and if the judge gives a deadline to negotiate a plea, then that’s the deadline,” Walden said.

Wilson said he has had the opportunity over the last eight years to manage the criminal court docket in Claiborne County as the lead prosecutor. 

“There are significant differences in each case that call for each case to be handled differently. Each case needs to be handled on an individual basis. It cost taxpayers money to force people to trial. You have to be fair and reasonable across the board,” Wilson said. 

Campbell County General Sessions Judge:

General Sessions Judge candidates Kristie Anderson, Bill Jones and Incumbent Amanda Sammons participated in Thursday’s candidate forum hosted by WLAF.

Kristie Anderson, Bill Jones and incumbent Amanda H. Sammons debated on general sessions issues such as quicker ways to dispositions, how should probation violations be handled and more.

According to Jones “Unnecessary reviews bog down the system, and if elected judge, he “will put an end to unnecessary reviews.”

“When a case is set with a review, it needs to be with a purpose, we don’t need people going to court for no reason. We need to quit bringing people into court if nothing is going to happen that day, there needs to be action,” Jones said, adding that he felt the same regarding juvenile court and that when cases come to an end, “they need to close.” 

Incumbent Judge Amanda Sammons said the “quickest way to a disposition is to set the matter for a hearing.”

“General sessions handles everything from speeding tickets to murder when it comes to the criminal side, also civil and juvenile, so there is a broad gamut of evidence that has to be used, but the quickest way to disposition is to set for trial. That’s why we try to always ensure that the matter is set for preliminary hearing for probable cause hearing within 14 days and follow through with that,” Sammons said. She also said, “each case needed to be looked at individually.”

Kristie Anderson said in reality, all cases are different, and some need more reviews than others. 

“Look at each individual case, based on the facts of that case, and if it’s a case that doesn’t need review, then close it out. I think it takes the whole system working together, whether that be the officers, the D.A.s, the prosecutors and court personnel to see what needs reviewed and what doesn’t,” Anderson said. 

Campbell County Mayor’s race:

County Mayor candidates Robert Higginbotham, Jack Lynch and incumbent E.L Morton debated issues such as tourism, jobs, homelessness, school support and more at Thursday’s candidate forum.

In the county mayor’s race Robert L. Higginbotham, Jack A. Lynch and incumbent E. L. Morton debated topics such as how to help with the homelessness issue facing Campbell, the expansion of tourism in the county, as well as how to retain youth in the area and aid the schools. 

All candidates said they would support the Campbell County Schools SRO program providing officers in the schools, as well as advocate for funding for schools and keeping rural schools open. 

Incumbent Mayor E.L. Morton said he would advocate for STEM schools like Elk Valley and would “fight alongside the board of education to keep rural schools open.”

Higginbotham said as far as schools went, his priority is the safety of kids. 

“As a county commissioner I worked to get SRO officers in the schools,” Higginbotham said.  He also said he supported efforts to get “trades back in the schools and also a Boys and Girls Club.”

Jack Lynch said he would work with the school board on whatever it needed and that the main problems faced are financial.

Lynch said he was against closing any schools, and supported keeping school SRO officers and school nurses.

“I would like to see recycling programs back in schools, I would like to see a Big Brothers Big Sisters program in the middle school and trades at the high school,” Lynch said. 

As for young adults graduating and not returning to Campbell County, each candidate suggested various solutions.

Higginbotham said he would implement more trade programs to build a better workforce for the community, which will provide opportunities for youth to stay after graduation.

Lynch said Campbell County would have to “homegrow jobs and homegrow industry, through entrepreneurship to provide career opportunities attractive to today’s youth graduating.”

Morton said expanding Broadband across rural Campbell County is “key to keeping these young workers home.” He also said he would strive for more STEM school designations. 

Campbell County Sheriff:

Campbell County Sheriff Department candidates Wayne Barton, incumbent Robbie Goins, and Jami Hall discussed law enforcement credentials, drug problems faced by the county and more at WLAFs candidate forum.

Eddie Wayne Barton, II, incumbent Sheriff Robbie Goins and Jami Hall debated topics in the Sheriff’s race regarding how to handle the Heroin epidemic in the county, as well as spending the $8 million sheriff’s department budget, along with what credentials they hold.

Barton has more than 30 years law enforcement experience. He said Heroin and Fentantyl laced Heroine had hit Campbell County and was on “every corner and in every holler.”

His solution is “more boots on the ground” and a strategy called “community based policing.”

According to Barton, community policing is about building relationships with schools, individuals and businesses.

“We can’t be on every corner and in every holler, so we have to regain the trust of the citizens, build good cases and make the judge’s job easier,” Barton said. As far as the sheriff’s department budget, Barton said he would “see how everything is being spent and reorganize funding and spending to get more officers.”

Incumbent Robbie Goins has 32 years experience in law enforcement.

Goins acknowledged Heroin laced with Fentantyl is a problem faced by Campbell County. He said his department “was out every day combating this issue.” 

“We’re averaging a drug raid every nine days, and we plan to get more people on the narcotics team. We want to improve this, go to the core of it and get the main drug dealers off the streets and get the people from out of state bringing drugs in, and that’s what we’ve been doing,” Goins said.

As far as the budget, Goins said the department had tightened up its budget enough to purchase 10 new patrol cars.

“We take every dime of this money and stretch it ” Goins said.

Goins also said his department was “active in the community.” 

“It’s countless how many child safety seats we’ve installed in people’s cars who couldn’t afford them, we do our school supply drives, I serve on the Children’s Center Board, we’re active, our guys are busy and out in the communities,” Goins said. 

Jami L. Hall said the only way to combat the Heroin issue was with not only enforcement, but also through the recovery side.

“Enforcement is a big step, but we have to work with DEA, the ATF and stop it from coming in here, but also the recovery side, when we arrest people, we have to work with the court system, the public defender’s office, and use the recovery programs to stop the revolving door of jail,” Hall said. 

As for the budget for the sheriff’s department, Hall said she understood the county had to have “equipment and manpower and there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room.” Hall said she would need “to look deeper into the budget.”

The WLAF 2022 Candidate Forum made possible by:

Terry’s Pharmacy, Jacksboro Body Shop, Ideal Florist & Gifts, City of La Follette Parks & Recreation Director Johnny Byrge and Staff, Robbins Guttering, Hensley Tire & Service, Wender Furniture, Jacksboro GNC, Litho-Craft Printing & Office Supplies, David Bales Buick-GMC, Southern Sass Boutique, Community Trust Bank, Maynard’s Auto Parts, Grace Rehab, Gamble Motors, The Tiki Hut at Deerfield Marina, Hearthside Bank and Collectables & More. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 04/08/2022-6AM)