October 19, 2005

Judge Orders Larger "Merry Band of Thugs"

In March 2004, I reported on Rutherford County Sheriff Truman Jones and his "merry band of thugs." The Rutherford County Sheriff's department got the moniker as the "merry band of thugs" back in March of last year after the MTSU Sidelines newspaper called them that in a sarcastic/humorous editorial piece. Shortly after this, Sheriff Jones (at the urging of embattled university president Sidney McPhee) ordered background checks on the entire Sidelines staff (stories here and here).

Fast forward to July of 2004. Sheriff Jones brought about a lawsuit against the county in order to increase the size of his staff because he wasn't pleased with the budget that the county gave him.

Today the Tennessean reports that, over a year later, a judge has taken the job of the county commission and awarded the Sheriff with 53 jobs. While this may sound like a win for the sheriff, I don't think it actually is. Last year he had requested a total of $20 million which could hire 94 new employees. The county only gave him a budget of $12.5 million which could allow him to hire 56 new employees.

From the Sidelines June 30, 2004:

Jones originally requested $20 million for law enforcement and the county jail, but the Budget, Finance and Investment Committee only gave him $12.3 million. Jones came back with a trimmed-down request for an additional $5.5 million, but the request was denied. Now Jones is suing the county for the full $20 million.

Jones wants the money so he can hire new staff and replace outdated equipment. With a $20 million budget, Jones could hire 94 sheriff's department employees. His scaled-back budget request could pay for 56 employees.

Despite the Tennessean's headline, I think that the judge actually handed the sheriff a defeat:

In his ruling, Wallace said several departments in the county were very understaffed, but he wasn't convinced that Jones couldn't operate within the budget he had. Motorist assistance in parts of the county with their own police protection and community service programs that the Sheriff's Department runs are "good public relations for the Sheriff and County Mayor, however, they are not statutory duties of the Sheriff," Wallace wrote.

First off, though, the case should have never even been brought by the sheriff. It shows a bit of an egotistical, power trip which definitely shined through when he ordered the background checks on the MTSU Sidelines' staff. Jones has been sheriff in Rutherford County for 22 years. That's way too long, and I think the power has gone to his head.

Secondly, the judge should have thrown the case out and deferred back to the county commission as it isn't a judge's duty to set the county budget in the first place. It has a strong stench of legislating from the bench if you ask me.

Comments:

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Was that Sherrif Roscoe P. Coletrain?

Posted by: FeatherSue Wisdombox at October 20, 2005 03:48 PM

Again you are so stupid! The Sheriff's Department in Murfreesboro is the only agency that is responsive to the people of Rutherford County. You are just another Nashville Media Simpleton trying to run our business.

Take our advice keep you dumb a-- Nashville nose out of our business. And bt the way whoever said the MTSU sidelines was a newspaper?

Posted by: URAnother Nashville Idiot at October 24, 2005 02:24 PM

URAnother Nashville Idiot: You respond to this with an ad hominum attack and expect your response to be respected?

The MTSU Sidelines website reads it's a "newspaper".

Posted by: Stev at October 26, 2005 04:13 AM