BREAKING: Harber report due any moment

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 5:47pm

Word on the street is that Sheriff Tim Hutchison is set to release his final report on the Tyler Harber affair at any moment. Developing...

(KnoxViews prediction: "Nothing to see here. Move along." Unless Sheriff Tim decides to take a parting shot at Mayor Ragsdale?)

(KnoxViews prediction #2: Betty Bean will be busy this weekend, and the Halls Shopper will have to stop the presses!)

UPDATE: Word on the street is that the news will be huge, and that prediction #1 above is way off the mark (i.e. more like the speculation in the second part about a parting shot). Reporters are gathered at the City County Bldg. awaiting word...

OBSERVATION: The timing is certainly interesting, what with Sheriff Tim set to be replaced next week and all. But even more interesting is that if this is really big it could push Knox County government replacement news right off the front page, and focus all the attention on Mayor Ragsdale instead of the County Commission back room maneuvering.

UPDATE: Hutchison releases Harber investigation. No charges against Harber. Article is otherwise a rehash of stuff previously reported in the Halls Shopper, with gratuitous Lumpy Lambert quotes. There will probably be more after reporters have time to wade through reams of documents. Apparently there's no executive summary, other than "no charges against Harber." In the time they spent printing the "two inch thick document" they could have posted it on Shurf Tim's website and we'd know what it says by now. Pretty lame. But typical, I guess.

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R. Neal's blog

vote

kill all the lawyers

Submitted by rikki on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 6:14pm.

I went to the sheriff's web page looking for news. Nothing there on Harber yet, but the entry on Moncier's latest lawsuit is amusing. Is that just some random dude's mugshot, or should I recognize him?

That IS pretty funny. I

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 6:17pm.

That IS pretty funny. I think the message/point/sentiment is on the guy's t-shirt.

Yep

Submitted by Factchecker on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 6:24pm.

We really need more yokels with that mindset. "Thou shall not kill, unless it's a lawyer."

Don't get me wrong, but

Submitted by StaceyDs Cat on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 6:50pm.

Don't get me wrong, but wouldn't he get a bigger splash doing it earlier in the day?

It'd give reporters more time to cover it and to make sure it made the 6 pm news.

Time to Print

Submitted by Sandra Clark on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 7:20pm.

I'm guessing it took a while to print -- this story is so big that we'll be covering it for days. (Bean's there.) -- s.

Tell Betty to post

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 7:57pm.

Tell Betty to post highlights here when she gets it if she/you are so inclined...

Is that just some random

Submitted by JaHu on Sat, 2007/01/27 - 1:23am.

Is that just some random dude's mugshot, or should I recognize him?

He kinda favors Janet Reno!

Adrift in the Sea of Humility

Where does Herb find these people?

Submitted by Number9 on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 6:20pm.

Hutchison has got to love that picture.

DAMMIT

Submitted by rikki on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 9:11pm.

Where's my hossenfeffer?!

Yeah, WTF? Is Sheriff Tim

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 9:20pm.

Yeah, WTF? Is Sheriff Tim just dicking with the media?

I've been told repeatedly that the report is forthcoming, any minute now.

Waiting....

Betty, know anything?

Submitted by Number9 on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 9:13pm.

Will there be anything on the 11:00 TV news?

Don't ask won't tell...

Submitted by Number9 on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 10:45pm.

Some of the delay has to do with the length of the document. It is very long.

One has to wonder how Randy Nichols is doing tonight. The question is, where any laws broken by the County Mayor or his staff? If a firewall is intact this is much ado about nothing.

Very cryptic article from the Sentinel:

http://knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5308545,00.html

Mostly background, Dwight Van de Vate, and Lumpy Lambert.

Apparently

Submitted by Simply Ridiculous on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 10:28pm.

Apparently some will be disappointed to find out that the Sheriff has taken 1 1/2 years to find out there are no criminal charges (according to KNS)? I understand him (Sheriff) to quote that this investigation was "too important" to leave for his successor - I'm thinking 'more important than the Johnia Berry case? Or the recent double-murder where there isn't enough evidence to charge the creeps with murder?' Good grief- let's get our priorities in order here.

Or, as I presume, is it just a ploy to take the heat off of buddy Scott Moore (County Commission Chairman) for making such a joke of himself and the County Commission - while aiming to squeeze in the Sheriff hopefuls Lee Trammel and Randy Hinton?

I got caught a blurb on

Submitted by CL on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 11:35pm.

I just caught a blurb on channel 10 about the story. They said it was sending shock-waves through Knox Co. gov't.

Channel 6 just called me.

Submitted by CBT on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 11:58pm.

Channel 6 just called me. The KNS article is misleading. They lay all the of the reason Tyler Harber won't be charged on me. I don't think that's accurate. I've explained this before, including on this blog I think.

I was told by Randy Nichols that the taking of emails from my personal home computer was a misdemeanor. He would not take out the warrant, but would leave that to me. It had been a year. Tyler had resigned and moved to Florida. It seemed to me to be a waste of time and money to haul Tyler back up here to get a 30 day probation and dismissed charge.

I don't know what else is in the report. I don't know what else the KCSO reported to Randy Nichols office. It was not up to me to press charges for anything other than the taking of my emails. That was up to others. What they did or didn't do, why they did or didn't do it, that wasn't up to me.

Throughout these events, the KNS has simply done a terrible job of accurately reporting this confusing story.

Just to clarify

Submitted by JayQ on Sat, 2007/01/27 - 12:14am.

I work for WATE and the report lays out several criminal offenses.

It states that Tyler Harber committed a misdemeanor by stealing the emails. But of course the bigger crime is the cover-up. It says that Harber tampered with evidence which is a felony.

The report also says that Mayor Mike Ragsdale lied and that if his intent was to protect Tyler Harber then that would fall under a false report--also a felony.

I called Randy Nichols and he wasn't home. We hope to talk to him tomorrow.

The Sentinel has provided cover for the Mayor...

Submitted by Number9 on Sat, 2007/01/27 - 12:58am.

Throughout these events, the KNS has simply done a terrible job of accurately reporting this confusing story.

Chad, you have been treated unfairly. Too some degree you have been made a scape goat. The Sentinel has treated the County Mayor with kid gloves and has laid blame at your doorstep that was unfair.

The print story in the KNS

Submitted by CBT on Sat, 2007/01/27 - 7:42am.

The print story in the KNS today is much different than last night's online version. The story changed substantially. Scott Barker seems to have done a good job of reporting.

What will the spin be?

Submitted by Number9 on Fri, 2007/01/26 - 11:56pm.

There are three levels of potential criminal activity. This is not exact.

Computer crime

Covering up evidence

One more I don't know about.

The document includes depositions, testimony, emails, and evidence from computer(s).

My guess is the Sentinel will give great cover to the County Mayor and WATE will go the other way. WBIR will be reserved and WLVT may not know about it.

I don't have a copy and my guess is it is a tedious read. Suspicion of a crime will not meet the threshold. It will be interesting to see if it is made available to the public. At two inches thick it is over 100 pages and probably close to 150 pages.

You have to wonder if anyone is working on a screenplay. What would the title be? Hard Knox? It would have to be a comedy.