So Long Sherrrff (Page 2 of 3)

January 25, 2007
By: Knoxville Voice

Brass Cajones Like Whoa

Face it. It takes some nuts to do whatever the hell you want and then continue to get re-elected? Amazing.

Hutchison really chalked one up for the department between ’95 and ’96 when the KCSO built a training facility and firing range in east Knox County—without consulting residents or the County Commission. When the powers-that-be said it was an improper use of drug-seizure money and he should return the money, Hutchison extended a figurative middle finger. He explained that the whole thing was done within the confines of the law, ignored the decision, and continued on his way.

His later involvement with the proposed (but not-so-successful) Justice Center on State Street prompted Wanda Moody, a county commissioner for 20 years, to enlist the help of Hutchison’s favorite attorney, Herb Moncier, to bring a lawsuit against the sheriff. “I guess I raised some questions on some things going on in the department,” Moody says now. “My theory is the department belongs to the people and some of the information needed to be shared.”

Despite her participation in those lawsuits, Moody is able to commend Hutchison on a job well done. “I think in terms of the new modern technology he’s implemented has been very good,” she says. “I think he’s done some great things as far as law enforcement goes.”

But outside of the professional realm, Moody doesn’t care to elaborate. “Outside [what he did for KCSO] is where some of his problems come in. The lack of coming to County Commission for approval for many of the things are where some real problems came in,” she says.

The Tennessee Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the county charter and its term limits came as no shock to Moody either. “I was not at all surprised,” she says. “I think people have spoken when they voted for term limits. And the government belongs to the people, and it’s important to follow their requests.”

Square Dance

Hutchison has faced off with no short list of people. Mayors, the entire city police department—Hutchison doesn’t seem to be cowed by anyone. The willingness to step on people’s toes from time to time can be a sign of greatness. (It can also a symptom of clinical narcissism.)  But even those who’ve been in the headlines because of their involvement with Hutchison, for whatever reason, are more than a little hesitant to speak an ill word against him. Randy Tyree, former Knoxville mayor and Hutchison’s challenger in the most recent election, says Hutchison campaigned like a champ. “To Tim’s credit, he obviously was re-elected to an unprecedented fifth term,” Tyree says. “We got after each other pretty good, but not a low-brow kind of thing you see so often.”

So while it was a clean fight, devoid of mudslinging and personal blows, Tyree’s interest in the soon-to-be-vacant spot for sheriff keeps him from swinging his fists. “[I’m] going to re-enter the fray and seek the appointment,” he says. “The next sheriff needs to have some law experience and have qualifications in relation to education and in relation to management. As top cop the sheriff needs to be an individual who can give first priority to a smooth transition and doesn’t get up in a ‘victor goes to spoils’ kind of thing. I think I qualify, I think I can hold my own. … I’ve just got an expression of gratitude to everyone who was term-limited. They did something right or they wouldn’t have lasted. I’m grateful for the progress we’ve had but that we can take it to another level with fresh ideas and fresh eyes.”

The Shit Show

Sheriff Tim made us laugh again with a series of interesting posts on the KCSO’s Web site. While the majority of the bulletin postings are legit and provide official information from KCSO’s media relations department, some—particularly the ones citing local media’s alleged misreporting—have the faint whiff of sarcasm and superiority. But the best are the ones Hutchison’s personally written. (God bless any poor soul who visits the site looking for information on public safety or crime statistics.) It’s never been a secret that the public defender’s office and KCSO aren’t exactly BFF, especially after August of ’99, when Hutchison introduced a policy that allowed defense attorneys to speak to their clients only with three-days’ notice, a court order, and through a glass partition. The policy lasted just  a month before the courts said no way, but theories abounded that black-boot-style anti-riot raids were going on in the cells where attorneys couldn’t see, complete with visions of dark masks and hog-tied inmates. So the complex relationship between the two agencies came to a bizarrely wonderful peak with the “Ass and Art” exchange of 2006. It’s a classic tale of a misunderstanding leading to hurt feelings—with great entertainment value for the rest of us.