That's pretty funny.

I was wondering if Moncier is able to get Hutchison retroactively de-certified, does that mean everybody who ever spent a night in Knox Count Jail after that date was falsely imprisoned?

What about warrants and all that kind of stuff? Do they have to throw out all the cases since then?

Could be another gold mine for Herb!

This is ridiculous. Tim Hutchison served in almost every position within the Sheriff's Office from jailor to patrol officer to being elected an unprecedented five terms as Knox County Sheriff. He's been in that office for close to 30 years. He was elected National Sheriff of the Year by his peers.

The hundreds who turned out to say hello a few weeks ago are a testament to his popularity with the citizens in Knox County. He deserves his pension. Herb needs to give it up.

Herb's on a vendetta.

Hutchison pulled a fast one on the taxpayers getting an $85,000 a year for life pension out of that "let's do what's right for the guys at risk on the street" campaign they used to approve the new multimillion dollar pension system which wasn't supposed to cost anything.

When assessing Hutchison's belovedness, however, you might want to remember that Randy Tyree spent in the mid-four figure range against him in the last election and got 47 or 48% of the vote. And way more citizens of Knox County didn't turn out to say hello than did.

When assessing Hutchison's belovedness, however, you might want to remember that Randy Tyree spent in the mid-four figure range against him in the last election and got 47 or 48% of the vote. And way more citizens of Knox County didn't turn out to say hello than did.

I encourage you to look at the precinct breakdown. The Sheriff runs in the city and county. The city also has a Democrat majority. Randy had some built-in votes. However, the Sheriff primarily serves the county, at least in the services visible to most citizens. In those county areas Hutchison wins by wide margins. So, where he's known best, he's liked the most. That's what got him elected 5 times.

If the hundreds who turned out are a testament to his popularity, what are the scores of thousands who did NOT turn out a testament to?

Show me any other local elected official who can leave office and draw a few hundred to a reception (many of whom stood in line for more than an hour just to say thanks).

And that of Mayor Ragsdale, the Register of Deeds, Trustee, court clerks, etc., etc. For good or ill, we have two governments here and pay for same.

Yes, but I get services from these folks. I get zippy from Shurf Tim. As you know.

Uhh...I know you might not personally get the service, but the Sheriff's Office operates the intake center (for city and county), jail (Maloneyville), maximum security jail (which is and always has been right in the CC Building), assists with investigation of crimes inside the City (Metro Unit, you'll note the recent cooperation with the Christian/Newsom murders), provides courthouse security, transports prisoners (caught in the city or county) to court and is in charge of security officers in all schools.

The city does not have these facilities and does not have to provide for them financially. Not the visible stuff, as in patrols by Sheriff's Office cars in county neighborhoods, but 'services' nonetheless to folks inside and outside the city. I suspect you get more day-to-day 'services' from the Sheriff's Office than any other office in the courthouse.

Masterful job deflecting the thread down dark side alleys, Chad. We wouldn't want people talking about whether the ex-sheriff should be decertified.

I salute you.

Herb's on a witch hunt. See story in today's paper for further proof.

Betty, I understand there are few direct services, but if the city arrests someone, they take 'em to the intake center or jail operated by the Sheriff. The city doesn't have to hire and pay jailers, build and maintain a jail, etc., etc. There are services provided for city residents. These are functions of government which must be provided (at a cost) whether I personally avail myself of a weekend stay in the pokey or not.

1.The unending battle between KPD & KCSD.Which split the city Republicans on Hutchison.Some voted against him;others could not bring themselves to vote Democrat & sat it out.But Hutchison won every time.

2.The contra fund battle.
If memory serves me,the contra fund consoldated monies in every county dept that were not in the day to day operating budget into one fund to create a higher yield.To drawn down this fund the dept head,in this case the Sheriff,had to fill out a request form & the Sheriff argued that those funds were funded specifically for the sheriffs dept & he should not have to go through anybody to draw down those funds.This battle peaked with Hutchison saying there was no gas for patrol cars;so he was going to park em.Hutchison won.

3.The Metro Charter committee supporting the top cop being appointed & the Sheriff being reduced to the chief jailer.
When the charter came to a vote Hutchison opposed it.He won,again.

4.Hutchison was appointed,by county commission,to head some sort of jail construction/site committee.Things were going good for Sheriff Hutchison.

However,these battles took their toll,lawsuits piled up,one resulting with a contempt of court ruling & Sheriff Hutchison's vote totals went down & every race was harder than the last.
Hutchison's vote totals

'94-36,443
'98-34,084
'02-30,093
'06-25,777

And the county kept the what...55 cent...tax increase for the justice center, no justice center was built and the maximum security prisoners are still housed in the city-county building (you can hear them on the main level occasionally).

This guy was the director, executive producer and fluffer of what Knox County knows as "Black Wednesday".

What proof do you have that Tim Hutchison caused Phil Guthe to repeatedly pass and refuse to vote to put Mayor Ragsdale's candidate (Scott Davis) in the Dist. 4 seat vacated by John Schmid? I mean, generally speaking Guthe has never been a Hutchison supporter. If Guthe had voted to break the tie and put Davis in (which he had, what, 4 or 5 chances to do?), we would have never had the multiple recesses or a Bolus swearing in and vote. And, I suspect we would not have near the media attention and outcry of so-called 'black wednesday'.

I'm sure Phil Guthe had his reasons, but why do so few people, including the news media, fail to acknowledge that it was Guthe's refusal to vote on 4 or 5 votes that caused all the recesses and multiple votes?