.jpg)
Wlaf1450
By SUSAN SHARP
JACKSBORO, TN. (WLAF)- The Campbell County Jail is holding inmates without arraignments while also erroneously releasing others. These issues come after 28 inmate overdoses in 2023.
A WLAF investigation has revealed inmates are being held, some for months at a time, without seeing a judge.
Others have been wrongly released or turned away when they reported to serve their sentences.
These are not new or isolated incidents.
Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Zach Walden has filed documents with the court regarding ongoing conversations he has had with Campbell County Sheriff Wayne Barton. In each case, Walden outlined the problem to Barton with the sheriff assuring the judge he will meet with his jail staff and “look into it.”
The problematic issues recorded in the court record are:
1. June 21, 2023
Samanatha C. Rogers was arrested on a probation violation and booked into the county jail. The paperwork placing her on a docket to see a judge didn’t get filed with the clerk, court records said. This left Rogers in jail with no court appearance scheduled. On Aug. 21, Rogers told a corrections officer she needed to see a judge. Once jail staff investigated Rogers’ situation, it was verified she hadn’t been brought before a judge. Rogers soon appeared in front of Walden where he dismissed the violation she had been held on for two months.
2. July 20, 2023
Kevin C. Halcomb was booked into the jail on a criminal court probation violation. He also had general sessions court charges. The paperwork for the general sessions charges was filed with the court, but the criminal court probation violation was “improperly placed” in Halcomb’s file at the jail. This resulted in Halcomb being held without bond for a month before seeing a judge. Court officials became aware of the situation only after Halcomb brought it to jail staff’s attention.
3. August 5, 2023
Robert J. Kennedy was arrested on a criminal court probation violation, but it is not clear when it was served. Court staff was only aware of his incarceration when his family, who has sat in court all day, brought it to their attention. His paperwork had not been submitted in time for the Aug. 21 court date. The deadline to submit paperwork for court was Aug. 17.
5. Aug. 15, 2023
Jeremy Ballard was arrested on a criminal court probation violation and held without bond. He also had general sessions court charges. When the general sessions case resolved, Ballard was released from jail. He still had unresolved criminal court charges that were to keep him in jail, without bond, until they were settled. A warrant was issued by Walden on Sept. 6 to bring him back to the jail. Ballard was back in the county jail on Sept. 22.
6. Sept. 15, 2023
Felicia Williams attempted to report to jail to serve her sentence. Even though the order for Williams to turn herself in was sent to the jail, jail staff sent her away, court records said. The jail staff had no paperwork instructing Williams was to serve a sentence, they said. Williams came back on Sept. 19 and was booked into the jail.
7. Sept. 2023 (date not specified)
Scottie Powers had a pending probation violation. When LaFollette Police went to his home to serve the warrant, they found him “immobile” with extensive medical issues, according to court records. The warrant was converted to a summons that instructed him to appear in court on Sept. 20. Powers didn’t appear and was arrested on Oct. 1. On Oct. 31, Powers’ family contacted the clerk’s office asking about a court date. This was the “first and only notification” the clerk had received that Powers was in custody, court records said. A few hours later, Powers was arraigned, even though Walden was not arraigning cases that day.
8. Nov. 2, 2023
Jimmy Lay was arrested on a probation violation. On Feb. 7, 2024, Walden learned Lay’s probation officer had contacted the court clerk for information about the arrest. The clerk had no information on the arrest as the warrant had not been turned in for scheduling. Jail staff allegedly said they didn’t have the original warrant. He was placed on the next docket.
9. Feb. 25, 2024
Brandon Brock was released from the county jail despite being there to serve a Tennessee Department of Corrections sentence. He was serving a concurrent sentence from general sessions court. When that expired, he was released, according to court records. Walden signed an order on Feb. 27 for Brock to be apprehended.
Walden summoned Barton and the Campbell County Jail Administrator Mike Owens appear in court to explain the problems at the facility.
A corrective order was issued for the jail following that hearing.
The order instructs Barton to “engage the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) and/or retain an outside consultant to create a corrective action plan.” The plan is to address multiple areas of the jail’s administration such as “personnel structure, chain of command, and job responsibilities at the jail.”
Barton was further instructed to conduct a full review of policies and procedures at the jail as they relate to court processes, inmate transportation along with other areas of operation. A review of policies and procedures training was also ordered.
The jail staff is to be retrained “following court orders and handling court paperwork,” the order said.
A written progress report from Barton’s office is due to Walden by April 25.
When WLAF spoke with Barton about the nine incidents outlined in the court record, he said he “would have to look at the particular incidents.” These events were not new information to Barton and were problems he had already been alerted to, as the court records reflect. In each instance, a letter or email was sent to him by Walden with the sheriff responding.
“Someone made a mistake,” Barton said of the erroneously released inmates.
With an order instructing the jail to obtain guidance from the TCI, Barton said they were in “constant communication” with the department.
“We are constantly dialoguing with them on every issue,” Barton said.
Holding inmates as the Campbell County Jail has, can “create exposure to liability and have other legal ramifications,” Walden told Barton on at least two occasions.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 4/8/2024-6AM)
This is good investigative reporting! The sixth ammendment guarantees a right to a fair and speedy trial. This needs a light shined on it.
It’s about time someone has looked into the jail and it’s practices…this is sloppy work on the jails part..finally someone stands up and not turn a blind eye..
I guess Campbell county will re-elect This Sheriff and all the employees next term Huh! Lol
My stepson been in there about four months and not seen a judge.
It’s about time someone looks into the jail and it’s problems…finally someone has decided to stand up and not turn a blind eye. Good work
It’s about time!!!! There is so much more that goes on in that jail that no one knows about. It’s the poorest ran jail I’ve ever seen. They treat inmates poorly. Especially the females. But no one ever speaks up for the females.
❓❓❓
Say someone was supposed to turn themselves in for a 30 day stay at the county jail, ok they go and they don’t take you cause they can’t find your paperwork so you sign a paper so you have proof you went then do the same thing the 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and the 24 then finally the 26 you decide to get paperwork yourself and go make them take you in to start your 30 days should the person get some credit for all the days they tried to turn themselves in as ordered I mean a day knocked off or something because they could have 8 days done by now if it hadn’t been for the system. I guarantee had they not shown on the 18 like they were supposed to they would be punished even more for once can somebody that’s actually trying to do better be given a chance and not be kicked when they’re down and trying so hard to do right???? Would love some feedback on this if you please.
Not only that occurred but I was always at the jail every Friday between 6 and 7pm check in in the lobby only to be lucky to be taken from lobby before midnight one time literally in 15 weekends of doing this I was taken in after only two hours of waiting. It gets better after all was said and done I served almost 5 days to many had to request my files the last weekend I did only to realize this they felt bad so I got to go home two hours early that Sunday after pretty much begging the Seargent while showing her the proof I had of actually doing 16 and a half weeks already. So yeah saying they need retrained is a HUGE HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT!!!…